Keep thin and never eat bacon to avoid cancer
21 Jul

People who want to avoid cancer should aim to be skinny, teetotal, and shun bacon butties, a five-year study has concluded.
The most unexpected finding is that not only obesity, but even being moderately overweight, can increase the risks of cancer, said Professor Sir Michael Marmot. He chaired the expert panel assembled by the World Cancer Research Fund to review every scrap of evidence they could find to produce the most comprehensive review of cancer studies ever undertaken.
A healthy weight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) below 25. Sir Michael said: “A BMI of 25 is fine, but it would be bit finer if it was lower.
“The healthiest thing is to be as low as possible within the normal range. I was a bit shocked by the strength of the evidence.”
The report also cautions moderation in the consumption of red meat (recommending 500 grams, or 18 ounces, per person per week) and total abstention from processed meats, which include ham, bacon, salami, or any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting.
This is because of the convincing evidence that consumption of such products increases the risk of colon cancer.
The WCRF report also emphasises the benefits of exercise, which are twofold. There is a convincing direct link between exercise and colon cancer risk, and a probable link to cancers of the oesophagus, stomach, breast, and endometrium (lining of the womb).
The secondary benefit comes from avoiding extra weight and obesity, the panel concluded.
It made ten recommendations which do not, save in one case, conflict with advice given for the avoidance of other common causes of death, such as heart disease.
The exception is alcohol, which Sir Michael said had been shown to cut heart disease risk. For cancer prevention, the optimum level is zero, but for heart disease it is two units a day for men, one for women, he said.
Because of this conflict, the panel agreed that the levels set for minimum heart risk should be accepted.
Karol Sikora, Professor of Cancer Medicine at Imperial College School of Medicine, warned that the recommendations could be interpreted too strictly.
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