How is cancer research related to Kids and junk food ?
These days it's quite common to see kids chewing all types of (junk) food.
Childhood obesity is booming and while we all probably know that this is not good, it may not be so obvious for parents how they could tackle this new 'pandemic' effectively. [2]
Childhood obesity is a complex health issue. It occurs when a child is well above the normal or healthy weight for his or her age and height. The causes of excess weight gain in young people are similar to those in adults, including behavior and genetics.
Behaviors that influence excess weight gain include eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages, medication use and sleep routines. Not getting enough physical activity and spending too much time on sedentary activities such as watching television or other screen devices can lead to weight gain.
Balancing energy or calories consumed from foods and beverages with the calories burned through activity plays a role in preventing excess weight gain. In addition, eating healthy foods and being physically active helps to prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart disease.
In USA Children and teens get more than two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods -- such as frozen pizza, microwave meals, packaged snacks and desserts.
Here is a simple rule to avoid junk food: read the label and if you don't understand what are the ingredients, then don't buy it.
What if the junk food taste delicious?
That's expected. But good on the tongue doesn't mean good for the body. To make this real I'd suggest parents to teach this by example. If you're a parent indulging in junk food , how would you expect your kids to grow healthy?
Here is a short list of what you'd label as junk food:
Fries, pastries, cakes, soft drinks, white bread, processed meat, and most pizzas you buy at the supermarket.
- Junk food can be addictive, so expect kids to crave for more.
- Did you know that a healthy brain works faster and better at school ?
- How much are you spending for their tuitions fees every month?
Now let's discuss how cancer research is related to this topic.
In my town is not uncommon to see people asking to fund charitable institutions from time to time. These charities are often supporting cancer research. While such initiatives looks great, are we sure those funds are well spent? Are we sure this is the right way to tackle the issue?
You may say, scientific research is always good, and I partially agree with that. Here is why.
On one side we've lobbies (organizations) working in the (junk) food industry trying to sell more, and on the other side we've cancer research asking for funding (over and over).
If funding was the issue, why cancer incidence is increasing every year ? Because of lack of funding? I don't think so.
- Lobbies on one side, and research organizations on the other.
- And in between people keep on dying.
Did I miss anything?
Of course this is a simple model, and cancer has many different causes (not just food), but I think the following simple statement could explain how we got here: follow the money.
Would not be better if we try to resolve the problem at the root, rather than going on in circles sharing a false sense of confidence that research can save us?
We already have the outcome of scientific research, why we need more?
WHO (World Health Organization) has already told us what are the major causes of cancer and among them we've the environment, lifestyle, and food. [3]
How much research do we still need? Are you sure that research will save us? What about our ability to change?
We're so used to the culture of "a pill will save me", that we hardly notice it.
For example, tobacco has been banned in many places, though lobbies are finding other ways to promote it - especially in developing countries.
To help our community to evolve and becoming more human I'd suggest the practice of the Human Values [4]. They are simple and effective in helping the individual to move forward beyond the illusions created by our own mind.
[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/10/health/ultra-processed-food-kids-teens-diet-wellness/index.html
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
[3] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
[4] https://www.fempton.com/uxton/human-values
