7 In 10 Puzzled By Slew Of Cancer Messages

Too Many Recommendations For Prevention Can Mask The Basics, Study Finds

(WebMD)  Coffee causes cancer. Coffee prevents cancer. Red wine works, but fiber doesn't. Or does it?

If you're baffled by the bewildering array of cancer advice, you're not alone.

A study released today concludes that more than seven in 10 Americans are so
confused by seemingly wide range of cancer recommendations that they don't know which to follow. And for many, the response to the puzzle is to simply do nothing.

Forty-seven percent of nearly 6,300 adults surveyed told researchers said they agreed that "it seems like almost everything causes cancer."

Meanwhile, three in 10 say, falsely, that there's nothing they can really do to prevent the disease.

Part of the problem, says study author Jeff Niederdeppe, Ph.D., is the huge
volume of news reports on cancer findings bombarding the public. Scientists
usually expect contradictory results, but when headlines blare first one finding, then another, without context, the result can be an almost demoralizing mystification.

Confusion Reigns

Some people respond by throwing up their hands. Others may unconsciously use the confusion to rationalize smoking or eating fatty food.

"It can give people justification to do those unhealthy behaviors they want
to do already," says Niederdeppe, a research fellow at the University of
Wisconsin in Madison.

Another source of confusion is that cancer is actually dozens of different
diseases, each with dozens of potential influencing factors. What prevents
breast cancer may have no effect on liver or lung cancer.

That's also why the relentless search for cancer-fighting properties in
foods, dietary supplements, and other commercial products can be misleading. Many findings target only one kind of cancer in only one group of people.

Simplifying the Complicated

University of Pittsburgh psychologist William Klein, Ph.D., says the barrage
of mixed messages and confusing findings masks the fact that we do indeed know how to help prevent a lot of cancer.

"It's just nibbling around the edges," says Klein, who also studies the
psychology of cancer prevention.

"People should just do the basic things. Keep weight down by exercising,
don't smoke, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Those are things we know
already, and they make the biggest difference" he says.

An estimated 30 percent of all cancer is related to smoking, while up to 20 percent more is related to obesity. Whether the latest antioxidant or fish product works or not, it is guaranteed to do a lot less than exercising and eating right.

"These three things we know are the best that we can do," Niederdeppe says.
Klein adds one more: regular screening according to schedules recommended by the National Cancer Institute.

Still, fewer than 25 percent of adults exercise three times a week or more,
according to the CDC. Just 14 percent eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Exercising regularly and eating right can be a lot harder than taking an
antioxidant or fish oil tablet. Marketers know this and exploit it, Niederdeppe says.

"People like to be able to take a pill and fix things. That's where a lot of
this 'Just do this and you have the answer' messages have allure and lead to
the confusion," he says.

[vermonter52]

I believe that many people look for excuses to justify their bad nutritional habits of overeating, consuming junk food, smoking, drinking and NOT exercising. Just look how easy the food manufacturers make this for us and who knows what they put in our food. No wonder so many of us suffer from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Get real.....any of us can walk for exercise and you don't have to pay for it, but how many would rather sit in front of the TV or computer? Healthy food, fresh fruit and vegetables are available in all stores, but it is much easier to pull grab a bag of chips and a soda and call that lunch and of course cigarettes and beer are another priority of life. We control what we eat not the food manufacturers and we have control over our diets and exercise. The doctors and drug companies are the ones getting rich off our bad nutritional decisions and lack of exercise. Read %u201CThe China Study.%u201D It is not a fad diet but just the true facts on the %u201C findings from the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease%u201D New York Times Best Seller. These are all things that the food industry and the National Nutrition Council prefers we don%u2019t know otherwise it would hurt the dairy and meat industry. The decision to eat healthy and exercise is yours.

[anniebanny]

Hw realistic is it for "them" to ask us to eat right and get everything we need from a "perfect diet"? Have 'they' been out there and actually shopped for all this "good for you" food? I can't afford it and most of the people I know can't either. Let's be a bit realistic here, we're nearing depression standards. The majority of this country is barely living pay check to pay check and saving nothing. We can't all get out to the health spas, hell, a lot of us are working two jobs to keep our heads above water!
And as for regular screenings, those aren't covered by most insurance plans, that is IF you are fortunate enough to even have any health coverage.
WAKE UP "authorities" we're down here living in the real world.

[drinuk]

Let us get this straight. Cancer is Big Bucks and Big Pharma is cleaning up Big Time. It has become a very profitable industry and is ripping off people across the globe. Mis-Information is quite deliberate, charities need to be seen as doing something and Big Pharma have their finger in every pocket and pie to influence the medical decision making process worldwide.

I would however offer a caveat to Big Pharma, very soon folks are going to learn the truth that there are genuine natural cures out there, cheap, effective and readily available. The very same pure organic stuff you Big Pharma had the FDA and government BAN. You ran all over the world convincing governments to ban anything you cannot patent and You Killed People. There will be no place for you on this planet when shortly the truth emerges. That goes too for all those who daily jump into your bed.

[advanceus]

The medical people are always saying eat this, don't eat this, do this, this doesn't work!! Also all the testing they want you to do to see if you have potential for cancer is crazy. It seems like all the testing invading the body could give you cancer!! Its hard to believe that people lived to be 80 - 90 years ago when we didn't have all this knowledge!