According to a new study from NIH and Harvard, even moderate physical activity reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was conducted to examine the role of obesity, height and physical activity in relation to the risk of pancreatic cancer, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the US.

The researchers found that obesity nearly doubles the risk of that cancer, but the risk comes back down to nearly normal with moderate activity. The heaviest and tallest individuals had significantly higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Walking or hiking for an hour and a half each week lowered the risk in the obese people by half. This study surveyed nearly 164,000 health professionals participating in two ongoing trials.