Cancer …and the Consumer

While it is true that Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, the 537 page report issued late last month. As we look around us we are astonished with finding that our friends and neighbors are overweight, have heart disease, diabetes and cancers. We seem to understand that the current state of Americans’ health is not ideal, and that we should be doing something about changing the situation. Often it’s too easy to blame a failing health care system, or the cost of eating healthy to use an excuse (or motivation) for change.

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The news report headlines were simple: the consumption of red meat, processed meats and alcohol as well as excess weight, significantly increases one’s risk of developing six different types of cancers.

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective findings.

The study estimates that about 40 percent of all cancers are linked to our foods, lack of exercise and our body weight.

Most important is that the panel also made simple and clear recommendations: exercise at least 30 minutes a day, eat mostly plant foods (fruits, vegetables and grains) and on the other side limit alcohol consumptions (2 drinks a day for men, one for women), limit high fat foods including burgers, fries, milk shakes, pastries, salt and sugar laden beverages.

The panel also found that:

• breastfeeding reduced the risk of cancer for both mother and child
• there is evidence that factors such as hormones that cause the body to grow quickly may be involved in some cancers
• being “lean” as possible, with a body mass index of between 21 and 23 reduces the risk of cancer
• tall people have a higher risk of cancer than do shorter people

Along with the release of this report came a 1,000 person survey conducted by the American Institute of Cancer Research which found that only 38 percent of those surveyed knew the link between processed meats and cancer, that only 46 percent knew obesity was a well-documented risk of cancer, that 49 percent believed that hormones in beef caused cancer, that 51 percent knew a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduced the risk. One surprising finding was that 71 percent thought that pesticide residue on produce caused cancer…which, according to the report, has never been proven.

We gravitate to what we can (hopefully) do to make our lives and our well-being better; and this report helps us find that path.