Milan, January 27 - Obesity and sedentary lives cause almost 2 million deaths from cancer annually, experts from Italian cancer research institute AIRC said on Wednesday. The University of Washington data distributed by AIRC also showed that smoking causes 1.5 million cancer-related deaths per year. While it is widely known that healthy eating can help prevent cancer, "the role of physical exercise remains underestimated," AIRC said. Several studies show that regular physical exercise reduces your risk of colon cancer by 30-40 % and your risk of lung cancer by 20% while also helping to prevent breast cancer, AIRC said. AIRC volunteers will be distributing oranges and advice on the best forms of exercise for various age groups in squares across Italy on January 30.