Slender physique trumps fruit and vegetables for cancer prevention

Slender physique trumps fruit and vegetables for cancer prevention

According to a post made by The Age, staying slim and drinking less alcohol is a better way to ward off cancer than eating fruit and vegetables.

Professor Tim Key, from Oxford University, said: “Fruit and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet and a good source of nutrients. But so far, the data does not prove that eating increased amounts of fruit and vegetables offers much protection against cancer.”

Unfortunately, people on the whole, will only hear what they want to hear and read what they want to read

I’m guessing a proportionate majority will read this kind of news as:

“No point eating heaps of vegies—If they don’t cure cancer, then what good are they?”

All the fluff aside, the article DOES point out: “…even if there was no direct protective effect on cancer risk, people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables are less likely to be overweight.”

I’m sure this means, people who eat a tonne of fruit and vegetables won’t have room to fit in a cream-pie for dessert.

Surprisingly <joke> there is some major fluff in the article

“Being overweight could also increase the risk of other common cancers such as those affecting the bowel, and more aggressive forms of pancreatic, oesophageal (gullet) and kidney cancer.”

I underlined ‘could’ because it made me chuckle deep down inside my chest.

I could be Jesus.

The sky could be blue due to the particles being made up of tiny little people called Smurfs.

There sure are a sh*tload of ‘coulds’ out there

I think the headline needed to contain a ‘could’ in it also. Jo Punter probably wouldn’t click through to read it though right?

Unfortunately tabloid articles can be highly convincing

If the article had replaced it’s instances of ‘could’ with ‘will definitely’, it might sway people the other way and encourage more to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Whilst the ‘coulds’ are still prevalent in studies, and headline-making articles, our decline into a world of ever increasing chubbiness appears certain.

Editor’s Note: Enough of my ranting. What’s your take on this piece of news? Comment below.