Cancer is preventable

Here in Wales Tenovus is working hard to help highlight some of the lifestyle choices people are making, lifestyle choices which can give you cancer.

We know cancer is preventable. We know a third of it is caused by ciggies. But the rest? Well more and more of it looks like the environment, not factories and nuclear power stations, but rubbish food and no exercise.

Concentrate on being lean and fit. The big threat is obesity which goes hand in hand with taking no exercise. Is “Couch Potato” to be found in the Welsh language? Would Bevan recognise one if he saw it? Well you don’t need to look far in Wales. After smoking, this is one of the biggest concerns. We’re the “fat, sick man of Europe” and we need to do something about it.

Exercise reduces the chance of getting certain cancers, even more than being fat. So attack the couch as well as the potato. It’s really confusing out there with all the messages- when to eat, how to eat, what to eat and drink. Is red wine good for you or does it cause breast cancer? (on balance it’s OK). Which vitamins stop cancer and cause cancer, Vitamin D, Vitamin C or Vitamin A? Is two litres of water a day essential (no, just common sense). Should we really have five portions of fruit and veg a day? (yes).

Food labelling, is there anyone out there who understands it all?  is it traffic lights? is it calories? is it fat content? Where is government in all this? How can we take on the food industry and beat them like we’re beating the tobacco barons.

At Tenovus we spend a lot of our time trying to prevent people getting cancer but we are reliant on so many other institutions, governments, health organisations and food and drink companies to help too – we can’t do it alone. Until we tackle this as one, we just need to use some common sense and take responsibility! Keep exercising, don’t be overweight. That’s it.

Good health.

Let me know what you think by contacting me on Twitter @claudia_mcvie

 Claudia McVie is Chief Executive at Tenovus