Low Fat Dietary Guide To Aid In The Management Of Skin Cancer

Step One: Estimating Your Calorie Count

The first step in developing a low-fat diet to fit your specific needs with respect to management  and  prevention  of  skin  cancer  is  to  estimate  how  many  total  calories  you  require.  You can estimate this value from the tables provided in Appendix I. To use the tables you will have to know your height (without shoes), frame size, and level of physical activity. 

A  simple  method  to  estimate  frame  size  is  to  determine the relation of your wrist circumference  (the  measurement  in  centimeters  around  your wrist) to your height. A cloth tape measure  is  placed  around  your  right  wrist  at  the  smallest  part  (closest  to  your  hand).  The  circumference  is  measured  in  centimeters  (cm)  and  divided  into  your  height  (cm).  One inch equals 2.54 cm.  That  is,  if  you  are  5’9”  in  height,  Appendix  I  provides  the  conversion  (175 cm). The relation (R) to wrist circumference is obtained by dividing 175 cm by wrist measurement. Say you measure 17 cm, then:

R = 175 cm ÷ 17 cm, or 10.29

By referring to Appendix II, you can see that this value falls within the range for a medium frame.

With  respect  to  physical  activity,  daily  standing and seated activities, such as typing, sewing,  ironing,  and  driving  represent  very  light   physical   activity;   carpentry,   housecleaning,  golf,   sailing,   and   restaurant   work   represent  light activity; while gardening, cycling, tennis,  and dancing are considered moderate activity.

Now you can estimate your calorie requirement. For example, the calorie requirement for a man, 5’9” tall, of medium frame size, and experiencing only light physical activity, is 2300 calories per day (Appendix I).