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Obesity Will Cause a Cancer Epidemic for Future Generations
Health specialists have warned today that the current generation of children are at greater risk than ever of developing cancer later in life, due to the raging obesity epidemic that we are now facing.
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jone, president of the European Society for Paediatric Oncology, has warned governments that they need to take action now to stand a chance of avoiding a cancer epidemic in years to come. It is estimated that globally 300 million adults are now clinically obese, i.e. with a BMI over 30.
Children with poor lifestyles are not at any increased risk of cancer while young, however they are constantly increasing the risk of developing cancer later in life. We could see whole generations of adults developing cancer, and having their lives cut short in the process. Cancer is one of the most brutal diseases, often attacking people in the prime of their lives, while still raising their families. Calculations suggest that poor diets and lack of exercise, leading to people being overweight or obese, is responsible for approximately a third of cancers in western countries, and approximately a fifth in developing countries. Just losing weight, eating a healthy diet and getting some regular exercise is enough to prevent many cases of cancer. Basically, lethargy and greed is killing us.
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Comments from the medical community:
“Childhood is the time when the habits of a lifetime are established. If you want healthy adults you have to start by making healthy children. If we don’t do something about tackling how much exercise our young people take and how concerned they are about what they eat and their weight, we are going to have another explosion of cancers, to which unhealthy lifestyles will be a significant, contributory factor. I think World Cancer Day should make governments and the world’s policy makers take a look at what is happening in their own populations, and this may stimulate them into action.” Professor Pritchard-Jones, Institute for Cancer Research
“This government has been putting off the day on which it is going to have to take on the food industry and say: ‘Enough is enough’. The cancer campaigners are right in saying that a whole generation is now at risk of being affected.” Tam Fry, from the Child Growth Foundation
“The focus on overweight and obesity is very important and timely. Making people aware of the dangers of smoking, as well as the dangers of unhealthy eating, should be part of all public awareness programmes and national cancer plans.” Professor Alexander Eggermont, the president of the European cancer organisation ECCO
“We continue to work closely with the food industry on labelling, advertising and reducing salt and saturated fat. Ofcom reported in December that new rules on advertising have had an impact on reducing children’s exposure to junk food advertising. The UK is leading the world when it comes to facing up to the problem and tackling obesity. We are aiming to change the way we all live our lives through Change4Life, which will help us all to change the way we eat, the way we exercise and the way we raise our children so we can prevent obesity and related diseases.” Department of Health, 2009.
Call to action: Parents, please make a change today. Buy some healthy food – fruits and healthy vegetables – and arrange an event to get your children active again. Go for a walk, play in the park. take up soccer or basketball, buy a trampoline. Just get moving and get healthy, for your sakes and your childrens’.
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