| It is amazing how discoveries, which are simple, do | | | | they get cancer then surely taking responsibility and |
| not make big news. If a pill which reduced breast | | | | doing something different would be the way to go. |
| cancer by one third was released it would be big | | | | We are not talking force fields which mean you can |
| news. There would be massive demand and the | | | | not possibly get cancer but a one third reduction in |
| company, which made it, would see profits and the | | | | risk is certainly worthwhile. Many in the health arena |
| share price rocket. | | | | are paranoid about what is called "blaming the victim". |
| There is of course no pill, which does this. The same | | | | This essentially portrays anyone who has disease as |
| effect can be achieved, by eating less, exercising | | | | an innocent bystander who is totally helpless and has |
| more, and having only moderate alcohol intake. | | | | been struck at random by forces completely beyond |
| Regular exercise alone leads to a halving of lifetime | | | | their control. |
| risk of breast cancer. Does it really matter if the way | | | | What about if we rephrase this as, "the actions of an |
| to reduce your chance of getting breast cancer by | | | | individual lead to certain consequences". Hence if by |
| one third is by taking a tablet or doing other simple | | | | eating certain foods, being overweight and not |
| things? Apparently it does. | | | | exercising you have significantly increased your |
| Whilst this finding, which came from The University | | | | chances of getting cancer then those are choices |
| of Milan, made some news-wires it was hardly the | | | | you have made and cancer may be one of the |
| front-page story that the release of a pill would be. | | | | consequences. |
| Why is this? In my opinion there are two reasons. | | | | To use an analogy, if you stand in the middle of a |
| Firstly we have become conditioned to look for | | | | freeway your chances of getting hit by a car are |
| technological solutions rather than simple ones. In the | | | | much greater than if you stand on the sidewalk. On |
| long and thus far unsuccessful "war" on cancer | | | | the road the cars may avoid you and it is possible to |
| hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent looking | | | | be hit by a car, which leaves the road and hits you |
| for new breakthroughs. If the solution is something | | | | on the sidewalk. However you know where the odds |
| we sort of knew all along and is not a "breakthrough" | | | | of getting hit are greater. If you deliberately do |
| then people tend to switch off. We also tend to | | | | certain things which increase your chances of getting |
| think, "it can not be that simple". When answers are | | | | cancer (or any disease) then it not really a random |
| obvious or right in front of us we tend to be | | | | action beyond your control if that disease |
| dismissive, as we have become conditioned to look | | | | eventuates. |
| for the complex. | | | | The great thing about being responsible for your |
| There is a second reason and this highlighted in some | | | | health is that it puts you in charge. You can make the |
| of the reaction to this. A spokesperson for a British | | | | changes and in turn change your odds of "getting hit". |
| cancer charity said their agency was very careful | | | | It is a no brainer to walk on the sidewalk rather than |
| about issuing similar lifestyle advice. Ian Manley from | | | | down the middle of the road. Doing regular exercise, |
| Breast Cancer Care told Fox News "We would never | | | | maintaining a healthy weight, eating mainly "real" |
| want women to feel responsible for their breast | | | | rather than processed food and moderating alcohol |
| cancer". | | | | intake are collectively the same no brainer when it |
| How exactly does this help women? If there are | | | | comes to breast cancer. |
| things that they are doing which makes it more likely | | | | |