Fight Back: Nutrition and Physical Activity
For even more information on Fighting Back, please visit
www.relayforlife.org/relay/crfbnutrition
Fight Back Activity 1: Great American Health Check
(Good for a January meeting, promoting Great American Health
Check)
1. Explain how Physical Activity and Nutrition can reduce your
risk of cancer.
 More than 50% of cancer deaths could be prevented through
healthy lifestyle choices like not smoking or using other
tobacco products, maintaining a healthy body weight,
getting regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet,
limiting alcohol consumption and getting cancer screening
tests.
2. State the following:
 The American Cancer Society promotes the Great American
Health Challenge to educate Americans about how to reduce
cancer risk. The Great American Health Challenge, a yearlong program, encourages Americans to make a commitment to
take actions to reduce their cancer risk or detect cancer
when it is most treatable.
 January is the Great American Health Check- find out which
screening tests are appropriate based on age and family
history and discuss these with your doctor. Encourage
your loved ones to get the screenings right for them.
Screening can prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest,
most treatable stage.
3. Pledge to Fight Back(share these ideas/ways to Fight Back):
 I will find what cancer screening tests I need
 I CAN pledge to take the Great American Health Challenge
and get 5-10 friends to join me
 I CAN get active
 I CAN quit smoking and using other tobacco products or
encourage someone I love to do so.
 I CAN join ACS CAN to help make cancer a top national
priority.
4. Call to Action:
 Visit www.RelayForLife.org/relay/crfbgahc
or
www.cancer.org for more information on the Great
American Health Challenge
5. Suggested materials – please visit RelayForLife.org for
ideas!
Fight Back Activity 2: Nutrition
1. State the following:
 One-third of all cancer deaths in the U.S. could be
prevented by following a healthy diet and maintaining a
healthy weight.
 Being overweight or obese is clearly linked with an
increased risk of developing several types of cancer:
1. breast
2. colon
3. uterine
4. esophagus
5. kidney
 Obesity also likely raises the risk of other cancers:
6. cervix
7. gallbladder
8. Hodgkin lymphoma
9. multiple myeloma
10.
ovary
11.
pancreas
12.
thyroid
13.
aggressive forms of prostate cancer
 Some studies have shown a link between losing weight and
lowering the risk of getting certain cancers such as
breast cancer. While research in this area is still
ongoing, people who are overweight or obese are encouraged
to lose weight.
2.
Pledge to Fight Back(share these ideas/ways to Fight Back):
 I CAN pledge to eat right!
 Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.
 Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help achieve
and maintain a healthy weight.
 Eat 5 or more servings of a variety of vegetables and
fruits each day.
 Choose whole grains in preference to processed (refined)
grains.
 Limit consumption of processed and red meats.
3. Suggested Activity- set up a display of fruits and healthy
foods and have fruit available for the team captains.
4.
Suggested materials to hand out:
6. 5 a Day one-pager and/or get other valuable resources from
RelayForLife.org. All the supporting materials and games
are included on relayforlife.org in the Supporting
Materials file, under Nutrition materials. Feel free to
print and share:
Fight Back Activity 3: Physical Activity
1. Explain how some studies have shown a link between losing
weight and lowering the risk of getting certain cancers
such as breast cancer. While research in this area is still
ongoing, people who are overweight or obese are encouraged
to lose weight.
 Physical activity may reduce the risk of several types of
cancer:
 breast
 colon
 uterine
 prostate
 The benefits of a physically active lifestyle go far
beyond lowering cancer risk. They include reducing the
risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and
osteoporosis (bone thinning).

You can have more energy, feel better, and lower your stress
level . . . all while reducing your risk of disease
2. State the following:


You benefit from even small amounts of moderate activity
throughout the day.
Regular physical activity is easier to
fit in than you may realize and can significantly lower your
lifetime risk for cancer
Adopt a physically active lifestyle:
 Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week
to lower the risk of chronic disease
 Get around 60 minutes of exercise most days if trying to
prevent weight gain
 Get 60-90 minutes of exercise every day if trying to
maintain weight loss
3. Pledge to Fight Back (share these ideas/ways to Fight
Back):
 I CAN take the Great American Get Active Challenge in May!
 I CAN get active and encourage others to do the same!
 I CAN encourage healthy living!
4. Suggested materials to hand out
 Information
on the Great American Get Active Challenge –
go to cancer.org for more information.
 Get Active one-pager. All the supporting materials and
games are included on relayforlife.org in the Supporting
Materials file, under Nutrition materials. Feel free to
print and share:
Fight Back At Relay For Life:
Possible tools and activities:
(Please work with your staff partner to determine
materials and activities)
 Get
fruit and other healthy snacks (like nuts and granola)
donated that you can share with participants along with
information about the importance of eating healthy
 Work with Entertainment and Children’s Activities Chairs
to offer ‘Physically Active’ activities, such as:
 Jump Rope competition
 Hula-Hoop competition
 Three-legged races
 Potato sack races
 Dancing lessons (ask a local dance school to come and
give lessons)
 Get a giant game of Twister going by connecting 4
Twister games together and holding a tournament
 Physical Activity and Nutrition Scavenger Hunt- create
a Scavenger Hunt where participants are searching for
information about and items related to Physical
Activity and Nutrition on track signs and hidden
around Relay.
 Have equipment available so participants can play and be
active:
 Frisbees
 Whiffle ball and bat
 Volleyball net and ball
 Nerf footballs
 Offer theme laps that get people thinking about Physical
Activities and nutrition:
 Dress up for your Favorite Sport/Activity
 Five a Day! Dress up as your favorite fruit or
vegetable
 Put a challenge out to count laps- have participants
register in advance, give them numbers and have someone
count their laps. The participants with the most laps in
a certain amount of time win!
 Use messaging in podium manual related to Physical
Activity and Nutrition
 Don’t forget- August is the Great American Eat Right
Challenge! Have participants pledge to take the Challenge
in August and gain a healthier perspective that will last
year-round!