- The World Cancer Research Fund with Arthur London and director Rankin have created a Cancer Health Check to see how "cancer attractive" you are.
- It's a five minute test that asks questions about your diet, alcohol consumption, and lifestyle.
- The list of things that cause cancer always seems to be growing, but there are certain things you can do to reduce your risk.
The list of products, foods, and materials that cause cancer seems to always be growing longer. Our lifestyle and dietary habits can directly affect the risk of cancer, but it isn't something that's always on our minds.
The World Cancer Research Fund wants to bring it to the forefront, and has teamed up with Arthur London and photographer and director Rankin to create a series of films to advertise a new Cancer Health Check. It's a five-minute test to make people aware of the links between diet and cancer, which is based on questions about diet, alcohol intake, and exercise habits.
In the video, models are eating and drinking in an extreme way, and the message is that no matter how good something looks or tastes, it could be really bad for your long term health.
"Our idea needed to challenge the entrenched belief that cancer 'gets you' not that you can 'cause it,'" said Nick Whillis, a partner at Arthur London. "We are so proud of the work and thrilled that Rankin chose to photograph this for us. He not only understood the creative idea but truly believed in the messaging behind it - if you do not follow the recommendations, you could be flirting with the disease."
Jane Heath, the director of communications & marketing at WCRF UK added that one in six deaths worldwide are caused by cancer, but the public are tired of hearing contradictory health messages - so there's a risk they are no longer listening.
"Our cancer prevention recommendations, when followed together, provide the most reliable blueprint available to reduce people's risk of developing cancer," she said. "We are committed to giving people the most up-to-date, scientific and authoritative information about the links between diet, weight, physical activity and cancer, which is why we hope this campaign highlights our aim that no one should die from a preventable cancer."
Here are a list of 9 lifestyle habits WCRF UK says can reduce the risk of cancer:
- Be a healthy weight - Keep your weight within the healthy range and avoid weight gain in adult life.
- Be physically active - Be physically active as part of everyday life by walking more and sitting less.
- Eat a diet rich in wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and beans - Make wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, and pulses (legumes) such as beans and lentils a major part of your daily diet.
- Limit consumption of 'fast foods' and other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars - Limiting these foods helps control calorie intake and maintain a healthy weight.
- Limit consumption of red and processed meat - Eat no more than moderate amounts of red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb. Try to eat little, if any, processed meat.
- Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks - Drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks.
- Limit alcohol consumption - For cancer prevention, it's best not to drink alcohol at all, or at least limit it.
- Do not use supplements for cancer prevention - Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone (except in some situations, like in preparation for pregnancy or when diet is inadequate for some reason.)
- Mothers should breastfeed their babies where possible - Breastfeeding may make breast cells more resistant to mutations that can cause cancer.
You can take the test here to see how "cancer attractive" you are.