Regular advice on diet and exercise could help cut patients’ chances of developing bowl cancer, new research published by the British Medical Journal has found.

Conducted by researchers at Dundee University, the BeWEL study observed the impact of encouragement on patients at increased risk of bowel cancer, with experts looking at the impact of sustained attempts to reduce weight and increase physical activity.

The survey examined 300 men with lesions – which increased their chances of developing bowel cancer – who were also considered to be at risk due to being overweight.

Over the course of a year, the men were split into two groups and given advice on losing weight in two different formats.

One half underwent regular meetings with lifestyle counsellors and monthly phone calls encouraging them to change their living habits to the risk of bowel cancer.

The second simply received a leaflet, encouraging them to take steps towards achieving weight-loss.

Researchers found that those receiving comprehensive encouragement had lost around 3.5kg on average, compared to the 0.8kg lost by those who were only given the leaflet.

As well as losing more weight, the patients with continuous advice also saw an improvement in their blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

“Weight management programmes in secondary care are common in the context of diabetes but they do not feature in the cancer screening setting, despite the fact that obesity is a risk factor in colorectal and other cancers,” lead researcher Annie Anderson, professor of public health nutrition at Dundee University, told The Scotsman.

“The potential for healthcare systems to promote appropriate diet and physical activity is an area that is underdeveloped.”

More information on the study is available to view here.