President's Cancer Panel: Cut Risks

(WebMD)  The President's Cancer Panel calls for U.S. leaders to "summon the political will" to reduce Americans' cancer risks — and slams the tobacco, food, and beverage industries as "disease vectors."

Appointed by the President Bush, the panel's three members are cancer survivor and cycling champion Lance Armstrong; Margaret L. Kripke, Ph.D., chief academic officer at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; and panel chairman LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., M.D., professor of surgery at Howard University in Washington.

It's the panel's job to tell the president how the nation's war on cancer is going. According to this year's report, it's not going very well at all.

Research continues to move forward — but thwarting major progress is the unhealthy lifestyles of millions of Americans.

Individual responsibility is important, the panel notes. But the panel finds that cancer prevention efforts "are compromised by federal, state, and local policies that have decreased the availability and affordability of healthy foods, limited physical education in schools," and created an "environment that discourages physical activity."

Perhaps even more importantly, the panel says, are "ineffective policies" that fail to regulate the marketing practices of "disease vectors" — the tobacco, food, and beverage industries.

Mincing no words, the panel report singles out the tobacco industry as "a vector of disease and death that can no more be ignored in seeking solutions to the tobacco problem than mosquitoes can be ignored in seeking to eradicate malaria."

Among the panel's recommendations:

Congress should structure farm supports to encourage production of fruits of vegetables and to limit subsidies promoting production of high-fructose corn syrup.

Encourage physical activity by helping communities build sidewalks, community centers, parks, and playgrounds.

Implement "fair food" policies similar to fair housing policies in order to improve urban communities' access to healthy foods.

Federal and state agencies should regulate and monitor food advertising targeted to children.

Reinstate and expand physical education in schools.

Employers should increase support for employee wellness programs.

Private and public health insurance should cover nutrition counseling and fitness programs.

Tobacco cessation services and medications should be a standard part of all health insurance.

The president and Congress should expand antismoking efforts, including a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship and increased federal taxes on tobacco products.

Candidates for office — and their political parties — should refuse campaign contributions from tobacco companies and their subsidiaries.

Media aimed at children, teens, and young adults should stop portraying images of smoking.

"Individuals can only adopt healthy lifestyles if they have the resources and opportunities to do so," the panel argues in a letter to the president. "We can and must empower individuals to make healthy choices through appropriate policy and legislation, and the panel urges you to use the power of your office toward this lifesaving goal."


By Daniel DeNoon
Reviewed by Louise Chang, M.D.
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved

[hross14]

agree with rick 13571--i dont want to be "nannied" but at the same time i dont believe in all the processed foods that are legalized.

I would leave tabacco where it is--no new taxes there--do away with chemicals though

Implement a junk food tax--talking about foods with ingredients that sound like rocket fuel

DRAMATICALLY INCREASE Public sidewalks, bike paths, and public transportation.

Cut subsidies for non-organic farms and give kids real food--not ***--in school.

Thats it

[drinuk]

Oldthought. Cancer has become a very profitable industry worldwide. It is a very successful and totally immoral business, illegally assisted by the politicians WE employ to serve us. It is supported by the Majority of the medical profession and the Insurance industry who benefit enormously from the "No Cure" policy. Fortunately through this medium, the Internet, ordinary folks are becoming more and more aware of this International Scam, which is nothing less than Genocide. If we are to believe in the Devil, we have ample proof that this cartel is indeed Satan.

[Netterz]

Ok, here is how MY year has went. My dad died 5/1, cancer, I was diagnosed 5/30, breast cancer, 30 days after his death. 2 weeks later,6/30 his brother, my uncle died of cancer as well. 3 people in 2 months, 2 died, and I was diagnosed. It isnt always a social thing, occasionally it is genetic. Several of my ancestors have died from cancer, THERE IS NO MONEY IN CURE. Insurance co''s dictate over your care. They say when and what test you will have done, before you can have the next one, or they refuse any and ALL payment regarding your treatment. Even if your doctor and you KNOW what needs to be done, weeks and months are wasted on meeting the ins co''s demands for testing, money and time. I truely beleive they know what kills cancer, but refuse to allow it to be made publicly availiable, because they cant patent it. ALL the huge $$ is in just (synthetically) treating it. Once they let the cure loose, there $$ pit in treatment is gone. Best interest of the patient has no bearing. I waited 6 weeks in hell, running all over the state for tests and ***, before I could even start the ''treatment''. Even tho the very first test I had done, revealed I had cancer. During that time, it spread rapidly thru my lymph system. Thanks Corp America, Big Brother and Ins Co''s. Good looking out for me and my family.

[drinuk]

The statement in this report that candidates for office should refuse funding from Tobacco Companies is very interesting and obviously means that funding from Monsanto is just fine and having all campaigning travel expenses paid by Big Pharma is OK too. This particular statement says quite a lot about the people involved, obviously whilst Big Pharma are represented on this committee the tobacco industry is not, did someone previously mention the Lobby??

[drinuk]

benje2 Get this quite clear, there are cures out there for Cancer. The FDA however BAN THEM at the request and untrue allegations made by the Pharmaceuticals. If they cannot obtain a patent on they kill it off. The example of vitamin B-17, from the Apricot Kernel is one such natural product. It is now illegal to bring this product in from Mexico, folks have it sent to friends in Europe who then send it here. There is NO honest or genuine research being undertaken into un-patentable natural cures because Big Pharma threaten to pull the plug on University and Institutional funding if they do so. Stamped across the forehead of every Big Pharma executive are the words "No Cash In A Cure" Washington is corrupt.

[drinuk]

Rosiemeow, Quite correct, Until government get a grip of corporate criminals who backhand public safety organisations for the benefit of stockholders ,nothing will change, the poisons will continue to run right through the food chain. These crooks don''t give a dam.
I note that mention was made regarding Corn Syrup from GM products BUT where was there mention of Aspartame and Splenda ??? The Real Killers.
I also note that tobacco is in the firing line again BUT nothing about the poisonous cocktail of quick burning chemicals impregnating good tobacco simply to make cigarettes burn faster.

Before setting up committee''s like this one, each and every member should be vetted regarding impartiality, No agro chemical stocks or interest, NO Big Pharma stocks or interests and members should have the clout to boot corruption in both the FDA and USDA, organisations which should certainly be cleaned up by whatever administration we get following the next election.
AND Rick13571, you need legislation when choices are taken from you and ingredients hidden from inspection in every day foodstuffs and the water you drink.

[rosiemeow]

Perhaps if we stopped the billions of political lobbying by the bioagricultural megacomglomerates such as Monsanto that have been poisoning our food for decades me might see a drop in cancer, but I don''t see that happening in my lifetime. As recently as this week, Beijing has refused to import our pork because of our ractopamine we''ve been putting in it since our FDA approved it for use in human food additives in 1999. http://community.whptv.com/forums/2/1895438/ShowThread.aspx#1895438

We''ve got rocket fuel and teflon in our water and systems and growth hormones in all our meats - and they''re wanting to regulate what we eat? Our corrupted FDA and USDA has made America the land of the greed and the home of the corrupt.

[benje2-2009]

We could have found a cure for cancer with the money we have spent on this stupid Iraq war and would have had plenty left over to eradicate other health problems.

[rick13571]

Have you heard the phrase, "nanny state?" Give me information but let me choose what I wish in the way of a life style. Individuals don''t need government mandates to adopt a health life style.