The University of Hawaii Cancer Center is now recruiting participants for a new 12-week study examining the best way to reduce abdominal fat to lower the risk of getting cancer.

Participants must be ages 35 to 55, slightly or more than slightly overweight and of Japanese, Chinese or Korean ancestry. Also, participants must not have smoked in the past two years and must be interested in trying out changes to their eating habits and physical activity. Compensation will be provided for time and travel.

The study, conducted by Dr. Loic Le Marchand and assistant professor Kevin Cassel, will research whether specific changes in dietary habits, along with daily exercise, can reduce the amount of abdominal fat, which increases the risk of certain cancers including those of the colon, liver, pancreas and breast. Abdominal fat also increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

“Through our past research, we have found that Asian men and women have a tendency to store body fat around and within internal abdominal organs,” said Le Marchand, a professor in the UH Cancer Center’s epidemiology program. “It could be particularly beneficial to implement the novel weight loss intervention among Japanese, Chinese and Koreans who do have high abdominal fat amounts.”

Participants will be assigned to one of two regimens of dietary restrictions that, in addition to performing routine exercise, might modify the amount of fat stored in and around internal organs. Researchers are examining whether these interventions achieve the goal of abdominal fat loss better than a regular weight loss program.

“The dietary changes will involve reducing calories, emphasizing portion sizes, eating a variety of foods and getting the right amount of nutrients needed by each individual,” said Cassel, an assistant professor in the center’s Prevention and Control Program.

More details will be revealed once participants sign on, Cassel said. The results from the study will help physicians develop better guidelines to get individuals to maintain or regain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

If interested, call 237-3901 or email lifestyle@cc.hawaii.edu.