to think BBC News cancer-scare stories are irresponsibly reported and scaremongering?

[RedHotPokers]

Tall people more likely to develop cancer

I have been getting more and more annoyed by the BBCs constant need to report statistically vague health scare stories. I regularly listen to More or Less (statistics/number programme on R4) who often confirm what I suspect - that these news items are inaccurate, badly explained and not based on real risk.

I mean ffs what is the point in this article??

[disclaimer - I am a tall person! ]

I thought it was quite responsibly reported on Today this morning, they pointed out that while it was an extra risk, it was a relatively minor one in relation to say, smoking. Also that they had no idea why the link was there!

slightly stupid people (like my fil) conclude from this that it's fine to drink, smoke and be fat.

FWIW, I think it is ok to drink, smoke and be fat. I don't mean it is without risk, but it is ok to do it! People are on average healthier and living longer in spite of this. I wonder what the average life expectancy would be if people lived perfect lives...

But what is the point?

You cant decide not to be tall and the risk is tiny compared with the things you can make decisions on.

I am all for education particularly about childhood cancers but stories like this do nothing to help and probably do exactly as dragon says.

They make people more complacent or make the worried well even more worried.

I heard this on Today it was the first thing I heard

They're always going on about this that and the other being bad for health. But it's all so wishy washy in content when you get down to facts.

I wish they'd stop it too. It just causes worry, often about things you can do nothing about anyway.

They all had a good chuckle too at the end of the report on Today. Yes, hilarious subject cancer

insomnia yes, of course it is 'ok' to smoke, drink and be fat. What I meant was: those things are far more likely to cause cancer than most of the things reported in stories like the one we are talking about. Hence, if you want to minimise your chances of cancer, it's best to avoid excessive smoking, drinking and fatness...

And it depends on your definition of 'perfect lives', but people in countries like Japan who have healthier diets than people in the west do live a lot longer on average.

BBC are usually responsible oncancer. The daily express is rather different/

BBC Breakfast need to get Dr Rosemary Leonard on more often - I'm sure we're seeing less of her than we used to. She is a true voice of reason and I really want to look like her when I am older

I vividly remember the Daily Mail reporting that sleeping with the light on caused childhood luekaemia.

wankers

I suppose the point of reporting that height makes a difference to your chances is getting cancer are that if you are aware of that you have a bit more risk because of your height you make even more effort not to do the things you shouldn't - if you quit smoking for example, it would mean a bigger reduction on your chances of getting cancer.

Whether YABU depends on whether the report was couched in those terms or whether they just said tall people get cancer more often.

Yes smoking, drinking etc. does increase your chances of getting cancer or other illnesses but leading a clean life doesn't mean you are safe. Sometimes it just happens and there is no reason for it. So called scientists should be concentrating on finding a cure instead of peddling out studies about height increasing risk of cancer ! Really how much was spend on this rubbish ?

I don't smoke, drink, not obese, eat healthy, excercise and am only 32 but last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors say there doesn't seem to be a reason for it, it just happened.

To be fair catpark I think this sort of finding tend to come out of the research into finding a cure. Its unlikely a team was funded to just research how many tall people get cancer.

It is the reporting that pisses me off, not the research

Cancer is scary, but proven research that educates people about increased risk factors is not a bad thing. Also, this research seems to be more about finding a cure and not about scaring people (that's the reporter's spin, not the researchers').

I am a layperson but went to a cancer conference a couple of weekends ago where they mentioned the research where people with longer leg bones (usually the taller people of course!) had an increased risk of cancer. It was linked to increased IGF-1 which is a growth hormone. Not only is it linked to taller people, but it's also linked to 'over nutrition' and being overweight.

There's a strong correlation between tall men and testicular cancer (see www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11628266 here) - my husband is over 6 foot and was diagnosed with testicular cancer last year. Having become recently involved with a testicular cancer charity, it's noticeable that all the men are over 6 foot! All men should be checking their balls, but maybe if you knew you were at a higher risk for being tall (or having had undescended testicles as a child, or being caucasian etc etc) you might be more likely to do a thorough job and be on the look out for signs and symptoms.