Waking Up To a Cancer 'Tidal Wave'
I generally start my mornings with a hot cup o' Joe and an eye out for the latest soccer news on BBC, but today my typical routine was tabled by an eye-opening caption, "Cancer 'tidal wave' on Horizon warns WHO". Being passionate about healthy living I dove into the piece anxiously awaiting potential new research identifying a never-before-seen cancer culprit, but I was surprised by what followed.
First off, I have to admit that I was relieved that after yet another article, coffee maintained its position as a healthy beverage (self-proclaimed coffee junky). WHO reports that latest estimates present staggering trends towards an increase in cancer cases, estimating that yearly cases will reach 24 million by 2035.
Lifestyle Is Still the Key
While the facts are certainly alarming, there may be a silver lining. Most of the listed causes derive from lifestyle choices, further highlighting the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. Sounds pretty basic, right? Well, a UK survey by the World Cancer Research Fund discovered that 49% of the population was unaware that dietary choices could increase cancer risks. Is this an isolated case of an uninformed population or do people simply not comprehend the correlation between lifestyle choices and cancer risks?
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that the population of the UK are somehow less informed than the rest of us. According to a 24/7 Wall St. article using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Education at a Glance, the UK ranked as the world's 7th most educated nation. The point is, if half of their population are in the dark, then a high percentage of your neighbors probably are too.
Accountability Can Save Us
My shock was not as much about the increasing number of cases in the WHO report, but by the absence of new identifiable factors that are leading to the incline. It has become even more obvious that curbing any potential crisis is in the hands of each of us - to live with some level of accountability and awareness towards our personal health in order to do our part to minimize the global cancer tally.
It's with an UP band on my wrist, and Nudge app on my phone that I kindly say, "No thanks" to the prospect of becoming one of the projected 24 million new cases, and I hope you will all do the same. [leaves to take brisk walk]
Nudge Co-founder + CEO
Image by Elliot Brown / via Flickr Creative Commons