Cancer figures prompt call to reduce risk by improving lifestyles
Cancer figures prompt call to reduce risk by improving lifestyles
Cutting smoking rates by 1% could save 3,000 lives a year, said Harpal Kumar, CRUK’s chief executive.
Denis Campbell, health correspondent
He urged ministers to do more to make it easier for people to adopt healthier lifestyles, especially by finally forcing cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging. “Alongside investment in health campaigns to help people reduce their risk of cancer, the government urgently needs to take action to stop children starting smoking by introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes without delay”, he added.
Smoking’s role in cancer, as well as in heart and lung disease, meant that anyone keen to overhaul their lifestyle should make that their top priority, CRUK says.
Dr Dan Poulter, the health minister, said smoking had fallen to its lowest ever level – 19% of adults light up – and 1bn units of alcohol had been removed from the market over three years through promotion of responsible drinking.
“We have also removed thousands of calories from everyday food and drink products through our voluntary partnerships and we are the first country in Europe to introduce a successful voluntary labelling scheme so people can see at a glance how much sugar, salt and fat is in the food they are eating”, Poulter added.
About a third of cancers could be prevented through a healthy diet, normal weight and regular exercise, said Dr Rachel Thompson, head of research interpretation at the World Cancer Research Fund.
“We know that being overweight or obese is strongly associated with nine cancers, and drinking alcohol is strongly associated with several cancers. We also know that eating vegetables and fruits, and being physically active, decreases the risk of several cancers, and [that] eating red and processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer”, said Thompson.
People who eat processed meat regularly should try to cut down, while no one should eat more than 500g a week of cooked red meat, she advised.
Dr Ann Hoskins, deputy director for health and wellbeing for Public Health England, said everyone in England aged between 40 and 74 should go for an NHS Health Check and use it as an opportunity to make lifestyle changes.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/26/cancer-figures-reduce-risk-improving-lifestyles-smoking-drinking
