article on cancer and exercise

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:23 pm

I thought this was interesting...not necessarily new, but interesting...

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-wo ... 1afut.html

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:50 am

From the article:

"Cancer is preventable and many cancers are avoidable," said Eduardo Cazap, president of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and one of the authors of the joint "Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health".

I sure hope that statement is taken out of context. All cancer is NOT preventable. My father died of lung cancer at age 64 having never smoked a day in his life and being a marathon runner.

He also had prostate cancer about 7 years earlier. I think he just had a genetic propensity towards cancer.

The article does go on to say that the study estimates 25% of breast and colon cancers could be prevented by undertaking physical activity. That still leaves 75% that won't be prevented.

Hopefully, no one here is exercising JUST to avoid cancer. I suppose even if you are don't stop. Just get some other reasons for doing it.

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:07 am

That particular sentence didn't register with me Blithe - just the overall message that moderate exercise is pretty necessary for good health.

There have been a few comments on the board lately about the tendency of society to blame the patients for their own illnesses, particularly cancer. Many years ago Susan Sontag wrote a fascinating (and slightly controversial) essay on that topic - "Illness as Metaphor". She later wrote "Aids and its metaphors" but I haven't read that one...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illness_as_Metaphor

http://www.amazon.com/Illness-Metaphor- ... 0312420137

NoelFigart · Post by **NoelFigart** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:21 am

Funfuture, unless you come from a family with a genetic propensity to cancer, you probably wouldn't jump on that. But if you've watched people in the throes of dying and heard so-called well-meaning people say, "Oh if only Aunt Ironsides had just not smoked/taken enough Vitamin D/didn't eat meat." enough it starts to grate.

Yes, lifestyle accounts for 25% of it. That leaves a lot that we don't know about for sure.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 11:42 am

Fun, I absolutely agree exercise - or should I say movement and active lifestyle - is necessary for overall health.

I don't know if it's sloppy writing or study authors making careless comments or what but the blanket statement I highlighted above is common to a lot of health and wellness writing. This is how people get "diet head". Sometimes, they are literally afraid of not doing the health regimen exactly "right" lest they die.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:29 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:

Sometimes, they are literally afraid of not doing the health regimen exactly "right" lest they die.

I know some folks like that. And they're going to die anyway. Some, undoubtedly, from the very things they're trying to avoid.

But back to exercise -- it does do more than burn calories!