changes to your life, the past decade, their lifestyle habits,
Four out of 10 cancer cases in the UK would be prevented if people changed their lifestyle habits, in particular, smoking less, eating less junk food, limiting exposure to sunbed tanning and consuming less alcohol. This was shown by a study conducted by Cancer Research UK, which suggests, that more than 2,500 cancer cases a week are avoidable.
One of the leading factors of cancer is exposure to tobacco smoke, which has been linked to lung cancer and oesophageal and bowl cancers, just to name a few. As of now, smoking remains the single biggest cause of cancer in the UK.
Obesity is also a growing problem in the UK and is the second leading preventable cause of cancer, accounting for 6.3% of cancer cases. It doesn’t help that only 15% of adults in the UK see the connection between obesity and cancer. However, some measures can be taken to crack down on unhealthy habits, for example, tobacco taxes, changes to cigarette packages, advertising restrictions and changes in recipes in order to reduce salt, sugar and fat in products.
On the other hand, as Professor Linda Bauld, who works on behavioural research for Cancer Research UK points out, our social norms have also changed, changing the perception of obesity overall: “People regard being large as increasingly normal, and that is a shift in social norms and acceptability. We need to get back down to what is normal while recognising the challenges individuals face.”
While research shows that cancer survival rates are improving, there has also been a 7% rise in the number of new cancer cases over the past decade. Furthermore, new cases are expected to increase by 2% every year, so prevention is important. This new study comes at a time when lifestyle changes are of particular concern in the UK; hopefully, it will break new ground in ensuring better lifestyles for people in the country.
Would you like advice and guidance on how to improve your lifestyle and wellbeing?
Every Tuesday we have meetings designed to help you improve the quality of your life. With prayerful support and helpful advice, these meetings can help you bring positive changes to your life.
If you would like more information, please call our 24-hr helpline on 020 7686 6000
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