[DANGER] Obesity, cancer, and fast food

Here’s a shocking headline: “Study Shows Higher Obesity-Related Cancer Mortality in Areas With More Fast Food.”

Obviously, we could have assumed this—that’s not what shocks me.

What I find incredulous is that we know obesity causes cancer… and we know that there’s higher obesity rates in areas with more fast food…

Yet, public health officials do NOTHING with this information!

Why not? HOW is this acceptable?

Profit over health

According to the study, communities with easy access to fast food were 77 percent more likely to see obesity-related cancer deaths.

That’s not a small difference, any way you slice it. Why is this okay?!

Meanwhile, many “experts” rattle on about food deserts—communities that don’t have easy access to grocery stores or healthy foods.

And recently, we’ve coined a new term based on the ratio of fast food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores and farmer’s markets: food swamps.

WHY is this still happening in 2023?

Oh—because Big Food continues to place PROFIT over public health.

Yep, we’re seeing cancer rates skyrocket while Big Food boasts record profits.

Demand access to healthier food

Folks, Big Food has NO desire to put a grocery store in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. So, fast food establishments have filled in the blank.

Not to mention, I was walking the other day and saw several advertisements for McDonald’s showing two Big Macs for just $7—for 560 calories a piece.

How is that possible? That’s an extraordinary amount of food at a relatively low cost, yet I can’t buy anything for that price in a grocery store!

So—are we really surprised that we have a nation struggling with obesity… and now, obesity-related cancer?

Why aren’t we demanding healthier food at less expensive prices… taxing sugar and junk food… and banning super-sized anything?

Now, I won’t lie: We’re never going to be able to feed the whole population without relying on processed food. (At least not in my lifetime.)

But the LEAST we can do is push companies to make the healthiest possible version of it. Because the end result will still be a healthier population.

Start at the local level… make changes within your community to help ensure everyone has access not only to food, but to healthy food.

After all, even little steps can add up to some very big changes.

Source:

“Study shows higher obesity-related cancer mortality in areas with more fast food.” MDedge, 05/05/2023. (mdedge.com/hematology-oncology/article/262772/preventive-care/study-shows-higher-obesity-related-cancer)