As a physician concerned with the significant impact of obesity health, it is my mission to encourage children and adults to take control of their own lifestyle choices.

I am a board member and the volunteer director of medical and scientific content for Less Cancer.

Walking is a great way to exercise, and we can find ways to take additional steps each day by parking a car farther away from a destination, climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator or escalator, and walking during occasional breaks from sitting at a desk.

Imagine the progress that could be made by gathering together the world's scientists, engineers, physicians, oncologists, epidemiologists and more in a super-team effort to end cancer.

Teaching young people about healthy lifestyles should include a conversation about cancer risk factors.

Taking the stairs instead of an elevator, walking to an appointment rather than taking a bus, subway or taxi, and spending times outdoors in warm and sunny weather are all easy ways to increase daily physical activity.

Whether we are adults or children, members of the media or medical community, government, industry, academia or cancer advocacy group, we can all contribute to a healthier environment, a stronger, more vibrant society, and ultimately, to a world where cancer is considered a preventable illness.

What kind of a society will we see in 2025? I am hopeful that it will be a 'prevention-based society.'

Exposure to harmful, cancer-causing chemicals in our personal care products, cosmetics, cleaning agents and foods is raising our risk for cancer.

As a physician, I recognize that we all have an opportunity to enhance our health, and reduce our cancer risk. That is why I became involved with Less Cancer, a not-for-profit organization founded by Bill Couzens that is dedicated to the reduction of cancer risk.

Growing up in a political family, I soon learned that what happens in our home, school, neighborhood and government has a profound effect on us all.

Parents should be sure to have their children vaccinated.

Alcohol raises the risk for cancer, and so drinking wine or hard liquor should be done in moderation, if at all.

A 'healthy diet' includes meals rich in whole grains, vegetables, nuts and fruits. Lean protein such as fish and chicken are recommended, and processed meats, such as bologna or cured ham and bacon, should be avoided.

Let's take a common sense approach to school lunches, and offer our children fresh, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and lean protein.

Surprisingly, the United States lacks federal legislation to protect consumers from an abundance of harmful chemicals in everyday products.

As adults, we realize that the real future lies in the hands of our children and grandchildren. Our first priority should be the nurturing and education of America's youth.

We'd like to believe that Americans live longer than most other people in the world. Sadly, that is not the case.

Would we like to see our children lead long and healthy lives? If so, we should support the maintenance of the child nutrition bill, and strive to give our children the most nutritious food that America has to offer.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and is present in most e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes also contain cancer-causing nitrosamines and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical found in anti-freeze.

We have come too far, and battled far too long with the tobacco industry, to make the mistake of trusting the e-cigarette manufacturers to do what is right for America's children.

In a world where women and men are advised to 'lean in,' run faster and reach higher, Arianna Huffington has courageously redefined the meaning of success.

How can we maximize the benefit of our nightly sleep? Turn off cell phones, computers, televisions, and any other distracting devices before bedtime to establish an atmosphere of calm and restfulness.

National Cancer Prevention Day, Feb. 4, is a great opportunity to focus our attention on what should be an American priority.

Anti-smoking education should focus on the young as well as adults, emphasizing that 'It's not cool to smoke, because there's nothing cool about cancer.'

Learning that whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables can help prevent many cancers, including cancers of the prostate, breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, lung, colon, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, gallbladder, and probably other cancer types is a powerful lesson that can have a significant impact on children's lives.

A non-invasive test that is sensitive and specific for the early detection of breast cancer is a goal worthy of our investment and dedication.

Mammography will remain a controversial issue because it is an imperfect tool involving ionizing radiation. Let's move beyond this method that is decades old and move forward with an early detection method for breast cancer that will not increase a women's cancer risk at all.

We should demand the enactment of the Prevention and Public Health Trust Fund, and commit as a nation to the prevention of diseases. America cannot afford to do less.

It's challenging to conduct studies of carcinogenic chemicals on humans, because it would be unethical to knowingly expose humans to high levels of potential toxins.

We would like to think that when we take a shower, shampoo our hair, or apply makeup, we are doing so without inflicting harm to ourselves. Being clean and pretty should not oblige us to increase our risk of cancer.

More than 40 years after the war on cancer was declared by President Richard Nixon in 1971, we are not much closer to preventing the disease. The National Cancer Institute has spent some $90 billion on research and treatment during that time. When have Americans ever waged such a long, drawn-out and costly war, with no end in sight?

The system designed to study, diagnose and treat cancer in the United States is broken, and it is in urgent need of reform.

Prevention of cancer should be a national goal.

Government leaders, researchers, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry, cancer advocates, and many other stakeholders all have a key role in promoting a safer, healthier environment, better nutrition, increased physical activity, and a new emphasis on prevention in cancer research.