To think British people are getting more health conscious?

[DarlingDuck]

I've just read that cancer rates are rising in the UK due to our unhealthy lifestyles. I was under the impression that we were getting more health conscious as a nation, am I wrong?

well i think it takes time!

It's always a weigh up between living your life and living based on a potential risk somewhere in a random and unpredictable future.

I suppose a lot of people just get on with it and do the best they can for themeselves and their families.

You're not wrong, but cancer is often related to stress (as well as many other factors outside individuals' control, obv). And the more you worry...

well - you can get overweight on an organic food and become an alcoholic on organic wine/beer too :)

kayah - yes, but it's a lot more expensive this way...

I keep hearing that there is an obesity crisis here and then that British people are eating organic food and heading to the gym

Obesity tends to start in childhood, though.
So once it's been set up...

I'm not overweight, I don't eat organic food and I've never been to the gym.

But I am here

Oh it's far to complex to put it down to being more health aware

of the top of my head

Known main risk factors for cancer:
age (we're getting older)
obesity (we're getting fatter)
smoking (this has gone down)
drinking (this has gone up)
genetics (not sure how this may impact)

Possible risk factors:
particulates in the air (gone down in some areas up in others)
artificial chemicals in food/water/cleaning products/arifreshers/shampoo etc (totally on the increase and if there is an impact likely to be accumulative effect as well as the unknown interactions between the many compounds)

so we may be more health aware but not many of us are much healthier.

My mum smokes and drinks a lot, so do DH's parents, they all also bake in the sun and don't cook fresh food. No one my age (30) I know smokes and most cook fresh food and do some form of exercise, do you think it could be a generational thing?

I think people are generaly allowing themselfes (includoing me) to eat in order to feel less stressed

can't speak of drinking as I hardly drink

but I agree - amongst my friends there are very few smokers
most exercise
eat sensibly :)