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Baby boomers are less likely to understand that a bad diet and drinking alcohol could give them cancer
- People aged 50, 60 and 70 are less likely to understand the risks of eating
- And a third of 18-24 year olds do not know that their diet can cause cancer
- According to experts, the difference may be due to where people get information
By
Sam Blanchard Health Journalist for Mailonline
published:
5:27 am EDT, March 14, 2019
|
Update:
5:27 am EDT, March 14, 2019
A survey revealed that seniors do not understand the links between cancer and their diet and younger generations.
Only 58% of baby boomers know that what they eat and drink could give them cancer – and even one-third of 18 to 24 year olds do not understand the link.
The World Cancer Research Fund survey surveyed more than 2,000 British adults on their links.
Experts warned that people's knowledge of the risks of unhealthy eating and drinking could be directly related to their long-term health.
A survey found that people aged 50, 60 and 70 are less likely than younger generations to understand that a poor diet could increase their risk of cancer (image in stock)
The survey found that 64% of 18-24 year olds knew that alcohol increased the risk of cancer, compared to 59% of baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, The Guardian reported.
But people over 55 are more aware of the dangers of processed meats such as ham, bacon and sausages, 62% of whom are aware of the risk of cancer.
Less than half (48%) of the Z generations – people born in the mid-1990s to early 1990s – said they knew the dangers of processed meat.
Susannah Brown, Research Manager at WCRF, said that the way people learn about their food could explain generational differences.
"The different age groups seem to be aware of different risk factors," she said, "and this could potentially suggest that the sources they use are using this type of information could maybe influence them. "
HOW CAN MY REGIME GIVE ME CANCER?
Cancer Research UK said that one in 20 cancer could be avoided if people ate healthier.
People with a poor diet are more likely to be obese, which contributes to cancer.
It is thought that this is the second leading cause of preventable cancer in the UK and that being overweight accounts for more than five percent of cases.
The risk increases simply because obese people have more cells in their body, so more risk that something goes wrong.
Red and processed meat have been clbadified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization.
They increase the risk of bowel cancer, potentially because they contain damaging chemicals in the DNA.
Eating too much salt can increase the risk of cancer of the stomach by damaging the lining of the organ, which makes it more likely to absorb carcinogens or cause inflammation.
Alcohol, which is broken down by the body into a toxic chemical and also alters the hormonal balance of people, has turned out to cause seven types of cancer.
It can cause cancer of the mouth, bad, intestines, liver, upper throat, vocal box and esophagus.
Sources: NHS and Cancer Research UK
She said it was possible for younger youth to get their information from social media rather than traditional information – but she did not explain how it could improve their awareness.
What you eat and drink is well established as a contributing factor to the risk of developing cancer.
Alcohol is known to be directly responsible for cancers of the mouth, bad, intestines and liver, as well as many types of throat cancer.
It does this because the body breaks it down into a toxic chemical, damaging the DNA, when it digests it.
Cancer Research UK says that about one in 20 cancer could be prevented by a healthier diet.
Eating a lot of red and processed meats increases the risk of bowel cancer because they contain harmful chemicals. Large amounts of salt can cause cancer of the stomach by damaging the lining of the stomach.
More surprisingly, close to the millennials, aged 25 to 34, do not consider smoking a risk factor for cancer.
This is compared to only 9% of baby boomers.
About 80% of over 55s understand that cancer can be caused by genetics, whereas this figure represents only 74% of 25- to 34-year-olds.
And the survey found that richer people better understand their health.
While 69% of middle-clbad people recognized the link between poor nutrition and cancer, only 52% of workers understood it.
Ms. Brown added, "We are aware that socioeconomic status affects health outcomes, and this perhaps shows that it is from awareness to the reality of lifestyle habits that could possibly influence that. "
She added that it was encouraging that a poor diet is an "editable" risk factor for cancer, which means that if people become more aware they can work to improve their own health .
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