Cancers of all kinds are the No. 2 cause of death in the United States, killing more than 560,000 Americans a year. Experts say more than 30 percent of cancer cases are caused by obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise, with another 18 percent caused by infectious diseases.......efforts to reduce smoking have largely stalled as tobacco companies spend more to promote their products, Americans are getting even fatter, and not enough people are getting the right tests and vaccines. Policymakers, companies and individuals can do more to encourage the right behavior, the nonprofit organization said.
"With increased efforts toward more fostering of and support for cancer prevention and early detection activities, we can reduce incidence, death, and suffering from cancer," the group’s Vilma Cokkinides, who helped write the report, said in a statement.
"The price and availability of healthy foods, incentives, and opportunities for regular physical activity in schools and communities, advertising content, as well as the availability of insurance coverage for screening tests and treatment for tobacco addiction all influence individual choices. Improved collaboration among government agencies, private companies, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, policymakers, and the American public can lead to continued improvements, and more favorable trends that reduce the risk of death from cancer and other chronic diseases."
The American Cancer Society published a series of statistics making its point:
Smoking declined only modestly between 2005 and 2010, and more than 19 percent of U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. At the same time, the tobacco industry has made a big push of smokeless tobacco products, with spending up 120 percent between 2005 and 2008. “The majority of these expenditures went toward price discounts that are intended to offset tobacco price increases,” the cancer society said.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the group’s lobbying arm, did a study showing that comprehensive smoke-free legislation in states that lack it could prevents 624,000 premature deaths and save $1.32 billion in treatment costs over five years.
Obesity rates are rising, with 18 percent of adolescents and close to 36 percent of adults obese. This raises the risk of breast, colon and pancreatic cancer as well as the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
