REUTERS.COM
Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:29pm EDT
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What people eat and how fast they grow are both significant causes of cancer, but many Americans still incorrectly believe that factors such as pesticides on food are bigger causes, experts reported on Wednesday.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer for mother and child, and tall people have a higher risk of cancer than shorter people, the report found.
"We need to think about cancer as the product of many long-term influences, not as something that 'just happens,'" Dr. Walter Willett, a nutrition expert at the Harvard School of Public Health in Massachusetts, told a news conference.
The report, released jointly by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, is the result of five years of study by nine teams of scientists.
They reviewed 7,000 studies on diet, exercise, weight and cancer.
Most of what they recommended is in line with what health experts, including governments and the World Health Organization, have long been advising -- that diets based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains and that go easy on red meats, dairy products and fats protect against heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
They found evidence that factors such as hormones that cause the body to grow quickly may be involved in some cancers.
"We found that tallness is also probably linked to increased risk for ovarian, pancreatic and pre-menopausal cancer as well," said Willett. He stressed that tall people are not destined to get cancer but should take care to maintain healthy habits.
The groups make keeping a healthy weight their No. 1 recommendation to reduce the risk of cancer.
AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE
"Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight," the 400-page report reads. That means keeping a body mass index, they said, of between 21 and 23. BMI is a calculation of height to weight, and the normal range is usually considered to be 18 to 25, with anything over 25 being overweight.
Exercise is also key. "Be physically active as part of everyday life," is the second of 10 recommendations made by the expert panel. The recommendations also include eating mostly plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains, avoiding calorie-dense foods such as sugary drinks, and limiting red meat, alcohol and salt.
The American Institute for Cancer Research also released a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults that show most do not understand these risks. Only 38 percent knew of the link between cured and processed meats and cancer, 49 percent knew that diets low in fruits and vegetables raised the risk of cancer and 46 percent knew that obesity was a well-documented risk.
But 71 percent thought that pesticide residue on produce was a cause -- something that has never been shown; 56 percent thought stress causes cancer, again not proven; and 49 percent believed hormones in beef cause cancer.
"Americans are increasingly likely to attribute cancer to factors over which they have no control, and for which no proven links to the disease exist," the report reads.
"This reflects an 'everything causes cancer' mindset," it adds.
The meat industry quickly denounced the report.
"WCRF's conclusions are extreme, unfounded and out of step with dietary guidelines," said American Meat Institute Foundation Vice President of Scientific Affairs Randy Huffman.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Obesity a consequence of modern life: UK thinktank
Reuters
Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:44am EDT
By Jennifer Hill
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Obesity does not result simply from over-eating and a lack of exercise but is a consequence of modern life, a British government thinktank said on Wednesday.
Being overweight is a far more passive phenomenon than is often assumed, according to Foresight.
It found in a report that the technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain becoming unavoidable for most people because our bodies and biological make-up are out of step with our surroundings.
"Stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, but now with energy-dense, cheap foods, labor-saving devices, motorized transport and sedentary work, obesity is rapidly becoming a consequence of modern life," said Sir David King, the British government's chief scientific adviser and head of the Foresight program.
The report, sponsored by the Department of Health, is the result of a two-year study into the causes of obesity involving almost 250 experts and scientists.
They predicted that the so-called obesity "epidemic" would take at least 30 years to reverse.
Until now, the government has concentrated on encouraging people, particularly children, to lead a healthier lifestyle, eating less fattening foods and taking more exercise.
ATTITUDE CHANGE
But King said a wholesale change in attitudes was needed.
"Foresight has, for the first time, drawn together complex evidence to show that we must fight the notion that the current obesity epidemic arises from individual over-indulgence or laziness alone," he said.
"Personal responsibility is important, but our study shows the problem is much more complicated. It is a wake-up call for the nation, showing that only change across many elements of our society will help us tackle obesity."
The researchers said there was no single "magic bullet" solution; even a new appetite-suppressing drug would not be the answer, because the problem is systemic.
Tackling obesity, like tackling climate change, requires a range of changes in society, from increasing everyday activity through urban design and transport systems to shifting the drivers of the food chain and consumer purchasing patterns to favor healthier options.
If current obesity growth rates continue, some 60 percent of men, 50 percent of women and 25 percent of children in Britain will be obese by 2050, according to the researchers.
Associated chronic health problems are projected to cost society an additional 45.5 billion pounds ($92.57 billion) per year.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson told parliament that government alone could not tackle all the problems.
"The chilling reality is that modern life makes us overweight," he said. "In a sense, we are the victims of our economic success. Tackling this problem calls for a fundamental shift in approach."
© Reuters2007All rights reserved
Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:44am EDT
By Jennifer Hill
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Obesity does not result simply from over-eating and a lack of exercise but is a consequence of modern life, a British government thinktank said on Wednesday.
Being overweight is a far more passive phenomenon than is often assumed, according to Foresight.
It found in a report that the technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain becoming unavoidable for most people because our bodies and biological make-up are out of step with our surroundings.
"Stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, but now with energy-dense, cheap foods, labor-saving devices, motorized transport and sedentary work, obesity is rapidly becoming a consequence of modern life," said Sir David King, the British government's chief scientific adviser and head of the Foresight program.
The report, sponsored by the Department of Health, is the result of a two-year study into the causes of obesity involving almost 250 experts and scientists.
They predicted that the so-called obesity "epidemic" would take at least 30 years to reverse.
Until now, the government has concentrated on encouraging people, particularly children, to lead a healthier lifestyle, eating less fattening foods and taking more exercise.
ATTITUDE CHANGE
But King said a wholesale change in attitudes was needed.
"Foresight has, for the first time, drawn together complex evidence to show that we must fight the notion that the current obesity epidemic arises from individual over-indulgence or laziness alone," he said.
"Personal responsibility is important, but our study shows the problem is much more complicated. It is a wake-up call for the nation, showing that only change across many elements of our society will help us tackle obesity."
The researchers said there was no single "magic bullet" solution; even a new appetite-suppressing drug would not be the answer, because the problem is systemic.
Tackling obesity, like tackling climate change, requires a range of changes in society, from increasing everyday activity through urban design and transport systems to shifting the drivers of the food chain and consumer purchasing patterns to favor healthier options.
If current obesity growth rates continue, some 60 percent of men, 50 percent of women and 25 percent of children in Britain will be obese by 2050, according to the researchers.
Associated chronic health problems are projected to cost society an additional 45.5 billion pounds ($92.57 billion) per year.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson told parliament that government alone could not tackle all the problems.
"The chilling reality is that modern life makes us overweight," he said. "In a sense, we are the victims of our economic success. Tackling this problem calls for a fundamental shift in approach."
© Reuters2007All rights reserved
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