Love it or hate it, it’s that time of year again -- the time for New Year's resolutions. Here are a few simple changes you can resolve to make in 2004. Follow through with these and you will not only reduce your risk of developing cancer, you’re likely to feel better too.

Tops on the list, of course, is quitting smoking.

No doubt millions of people will resolve to kick the habit this year – and well they should. Smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans each year, and leaves more than 8 million with debilitating heart disease, lung disease, and cancer. Lung cancer is the most common smoking-related cancer, but cigarettes also contribute to cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas, liver, and colon, among others. About 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States are related to smoking.

Quitting has immediate health benefits. Blood pressure and heart rate start to drop within minutes of quitting. Within a day, the risk of heart attack drops. Within months, lung function begins to return to normal. After 10 years, the death rate from lung cancer is about half of what it is in smokers.

Giving up cigarettes can be tough, so let others help. A doctor can prescribe nicotine replacement medications and can help you develop a sensible plan for quitting. Telephone quitlines or other counseling services can also help smokers weather the rough spots. Enlisting the help of family and friends is also important, experts say.

The ever-popular eat-right-lose-weight-get-in-shape promise can also have a big impact on your cancer risk, not to mention your figure.

More than 60% of US adults and 15% of children are either overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only is obesity a major culprit in cancer development and cancer death, it's also a well-known risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.

"It sounds cliché, but eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains daily, avoiding processed and high-sugar foods, and being physically active are very important ways we can take control to reduce our risk of cancer and other chronic diseases," says Marji McCullough, a nutritional epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society (ACS). "This lifestyle also helps maintain a healthy weight, which is integral to staying healthy."

ACS guidelines for physical activity and nutrition can help you stay on track. Resolve to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day; choose whole grains over refined, processed ones; and replace some of the red meat in your diet with beans, poultry, or fish.

And of course, get your exercise. For adults, ACS recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on at least 5 days a week. Kids need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity 5 days a week or more. "Moderate" activity includes walking, leisurely biking or skating, yoga, and mowing the lawn. Vigorous activities include jogging or running, swimming, martial arts, basketball, and soccer.

One resolution that may not be on your list is making an appointment to see your doctor. Aside from checking your general health, your doctor can schedule important cancer screenings that could help prevent the disease or catch it in the early stages, when treatments are more likely to be successful.

Colon cancer, for instance, can be prevented if growths in the colon known as polyps are found and removed before they become cancerous. Mammograms can find breast tumors that are too small to be felt by a physical exam. Women with early-stage breast cancer are more likely to qualify for breast-conserving surgery, and may even be able to avoid chemotherapy.

Medicare and most private insurance plans cover many cancer screening tests. Women who do not have insurance may qualify for mammograms and cervical cancer screening through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.