CANCER RISK IN YOUR FRY-UP

The dramatic warning was issued by doctors at the World Cancer Research Fund after a new study. They believe that eating processed meats like sausages and bacon significantly increases people’s risk.

 

The huge amount of calories can also lead to obesity, which is linked to many different types of cancer. The doctors said the typical English breakfast of fried eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes can contain 700 calories.

Adding in extras such as black pudding and fried bread pushes the calorie content even higher, while saturated fat is also known to contribute to the risk of heart disease.

The research fund said there is convincing scientific evidence that excess body fat is linked to six different forms of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer. Experts now believe that, after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important thing people can do to prevent them developing the disease.

The fund warned that eating 150g of processed meat a day – the equivalent of about two sausages and three rashers of bacon –increases bowel cancer risk by 63 per cent.

The evidence that processed meat is a cause of bowel cancer is so strong that people should avoid eating it, said the charity.

Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for the fund, said: “For some people, having a fry-up might seem like a good way to start the day.

“But if you are doing this regularly then you are significantly increasing your risk of bowel cancer, which is one of the most common cancers.

“Only a third of people are aware of the link between processed meat and cancer, which means two-thirds are not in a position to make an informed choice about how much of it they eat.

“This is not a question of all or nothing because the more processed meat you eat, the greater your risk. For example, if you eat 150g of it a day then you will be increasing your bowel cancer risk by about two-thirds.

“But if you only eat 50g a day – roughly the equivalent of a sausage – then you will be increasing your risk by about a fifth.

“As well as the processed meat increasing the risk of bowel cancer, fry-ups also tend to be high in calories.

“We recommend people limit consumption of high-calorie or energy-dense foods because eating them regularly makes you more likely to gain weight. This is important because there is convincing evidence that excess body fat increases risk of six different types of cancer.”

Prof Wiseman said scientists estimate that about a third of cancers could be prevented by eating healthily, taking regular exercise and staying a healthy weight.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest killer cancer after lung cancer, with one in 18 men being diagnosed with it and one in 20 women. Half of those diagnosed – 50 people a day – will die.

Cancer Research UK’s director of health information Sara Hiom said: “Studies like this look at the dietary habits of large numbers of people, so they tell us about the population as a whole.

“This makes it difficult to predict the risk to an individual, but if anyone is looking to reduce their risk of bowel cancer, moderating the red and processed meat they eat is a good way to start.

“It’s also important to remember that many other parts of your diet and wider lifestyle can affect the risk of bowel cancer – along with the genes you inherit.”