World Health Org-Eat 1 lb fruits & veggies a day/reduce fat & meats

[Guest guest]

The following are PARTS of a report from the World Health Organization

(WHO) based on research studies on cancer around the world.This seems

to fit the discussion here on the importance of diet in prevention &

elimination of certain types of cancer. The full report can be found

at their website at

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr27/en/

" WORLD CANCER REPORT PROVIDES CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT ACTION ON SMOKING,

DIET AND INFECTIONS CAN PREVENT ONE THIRD OF CANCERS, ANOTHER THIRD

CAN BE CURED " - 3 April 2003 | GENEVA

Action now can prevent one third of cancers, cure another third, and

provide good, palliative care to the remaining third who need it,

" said Dr. Kleihues, Director of the International Agency for

Research on Cancer (IARC) and co-editor of the World Cancer Report.

The World Cancer Report is a concise manual describing the global

burden, the causes of cancer, major types of malignancies, early

detection and treatment. The 351-page global report is issued by IARC,

which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO).

THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE AND ITS HEALTH RISKS

The Western lifestyle is characterized by a highly caloric diet, rich

in FAT, REFINED CARBOHYDRATES and ANIMAL PROTEIN, combined with low

physical activity, resulting in an overall energy imbalance. It is

ASSOCIATED WITH A MULTITUDE OF DISEASE CONDITIONS, including obesity,

diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arterial hypertension and CANCER.

CANCER PREVENTION: A HEALTHY DIET CAN HELP!

Epidemiological studies indicate that the frequent consumption of

fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing cancers of

epithelial origin, including carcinomas of the pharynx, larynx, lung,

oesophagus, stomach, colon and cervix. Recent data from the European

Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), suggests

that a daily consumption of 500 grams (1.1. lbs.) of FRUITS and

VEGETABLES can decrease incidence of cancers of the digestive tract by

up to 25%.

The report also says that given the multi-faceted impact of diet on

cancer, many countries should encourage consumption of LOCALLY

produced vegetables, fruit and agricultural products, and avoid the

adoption of Western style dietary habits. IARC says that such actions

would have health benefits beyond cancer, since other common

non-communicable diseases, notably cardiovascular disease and

diabetes, share the same lifestyle-related risk factors.

The best possible prevention against cancer remains the avoidance of

exposure to cancer-causing agents: this is called primary prevention

(eg tobacco, industrial carcinogens, etc).

CANCER BY THE NUMBERS

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.2

million new cases annually; followed by cancer of the breast, just

over 1 million cases; colorectal, 940,000; stomach, 870,000; liver,

560,000; cervical, 470,000; esophageal, 410,000; head and neck,

390,000; bladder, 330,000; malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 290,000;

leukemia, 250,000; prostate and testicular, 250,000; pancreatic,

216,000; ovarian, 190,000; kidney, 190,000; endometrial, 188,000;

nervous system, 175,000; melanoma, 133,000; thyroid, 123,000; pharynx,

65,000; and Hodgkin disease, 62,000 cases.

The three leading cancer killers are different than the three most

common forms, with lung cancer responsible for 17.8 per cent of all

cancer deaths, stomach, 10.4 per cent and liver, 8.8 per cent.

Industrial nations with the highest overall cancer rates include:

U.S.A, Italy, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, Canada and France.

Developing countries with the lowest cancer were in Northern Africa,

Southern and Eastern Asia. (A complete list of cancer rates by

countries can be found at http://www-dep.iarc.fr/.