To think the PoW’s diagnosis makes healthy living seem pointless?

[Notsuretoputit]

I try my best to live heathily (although definitely not fanatical). I try and stay away from ultra processed foods, try and avoid saturated fat, too much meat etc., try and exercise every week. I’ll have the odd takeaway and definitely overindulge on wine, but always try and be mindful of living heathily because so much information is constantly battering me through the radio, media etc. about getting ill from various foods and not exercising.

I’ve recently lost my mother far too young too, so I suppose it’s particularly on my mind at the moment. But then you hear Kate’s diagnosis, who obviously exercises regularly, has the best instructors, best food, best ingredients, best preparation, and she still falls ill, and it all seems a bit pointless.

AIBU to feel this way? I just wonder whether I really should make an effort to watch what I eat and run when I don’t feel like it if really, what will be will be regardless.

I’ve never had Covid (to my knowledge!). I have had the vaccine though and have speculated as to whether this was a contributing factor.

Absolutely missing the point we were making about randoms putting forward the cause of an illness. To the point where I wasn’t sure whether you were being satirical with your response.

You know what you can do with your ‘hth’.

I know of a woman who died of a heart attack very shortly after having the vaccine. She was extremely overweight, presumably that was part of the reason she didn't survive the heart attack.

I have two asian colleagues in my office, both diabetic, both very slim, one does snack on sugary foods and samosas and things a lot of the time. I live in an area where half the population are origin and the rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease are huge.

Covid is a known risk factor for cardiovascular sequelae. Saying a link is “possible” is not determining it as a cause. And everyone is random on here.

Interesting. Research indicates it’s the spike protein specifically triggering the cardiovascular damage in Covid. I guess the spike protein in either form - viral or mrna coded - could potentially cause similar issues. But that would take an awful lot of research to evaluate.

Anyway, I’m sorry to hear your experience, I hope you’re ok.

Then this whole thread is wrong and everyone replying to it is speculating because it is called "To think the PoW’s diagnosis makes healthy living seem pointless?" i.e. implying she was healthy in the first place.

Furthermore the fact is that many people do judge people especially the overweight/obese but slimmer people don't face the same judgement. In truth we should not be judging people but not allowing people to pint out slim =/ healthy is just trying to silence people.

I immediately assumed it was the high level of stress she has been living with for decades. The pressure must be unbearable at times. My healthy slim BIL died of cancer - also high stress lifestyle. Further study and research is needed, but that’s the most likely to cause serious illness. High levels of cortisol and the central nervous system running continuously at maximum capacity.

I think there’s a difference between saying that she is healthy and has a healthy lifestyle versus implying that she is a chain smoker, eats crap, is too thin etc.

People don’t seem to understand that anyone can get cancer. Being healthy doesn’t protect you. But then that leads to people insisting she isn’t healthy (because they need to believe it can’t happen to them)- that her Dukan diet is to blame. That is wrong.

Saying it’s a worry that you can do everything right and still get cancer is a discussion point. And like someone pointed out - cancers in the under 50s have increased by 80%. I bet you still have people insisting that’s all down to crap diets and smoking.

Cancer can happen and most likely will happen to most of us. The variation will be age.

Interesting statistic

Always good to look at the source

Study points to big surge in under-50 cancer cases - BBC News

"The number of cancer cases among the under-50s around the world appears to have risen sharply in the past 30 years, a study suggests.
Research published in BMJ Oncology found there had been 3.26 million cases in 2019 - 79% more than in 1990.
But experts cautioned against reading too much into the findings
The research did not take into account a 40% rise in the total population, while factors such as better reporting may also have played a role
The team, of experts from around the world, including the US, China and the UK, agreed no firm conclusions could be drawn.
But they were concerned lifestyle factors - including excess weight, diets high in red meat and salt and physical inactivity - could be pushing cancer cases up among 14- to 49-year-olds."

And

Cancer cases in under-50s worldwide up nearly 80% in three decades, study finds | Cancer | The Guardian

Genetic factors are likely to have a role, the researchers said. But diets high in red meat and salt and low in fruit and milk, along with alcohol and tobacco use, are the main risk factors underlying the most common cancers among under-50s, with physical inactivity, excess weight and high blood sugar contributory factors, the data indicates.
Dr Claire Knight, a senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, which was not involved in the study, said it was not yet clear what was driving the trend and urged caution.
“However alarming this might seem, cancer is primarily a disease of older age, with the majority of new cancer cases worldwide being diagnosed in those aged 50 and above,” she said. “We need more research to examine the causes of early onset cancer for specific cancer types, like our BCAN-RAY study that is looking at new ways to identify younger women at higher risk of breast cancer.

“If people are concerned about their cancer risk, there are lots of ways to help reduce this such as not smoking, maintaining a balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise and staying safe in the sun.”

It would have been more useful to use the word rate / cancers per 100,000 population instead of arbitrary figures - the population in 1990 is very different to that in 2023

The link to stress is possible but I wonder if they are the same people too busy to see the doctor.

Meat is a known carcinogen. It’s normalised in our society but probably wouldn’t pass any current safety test.

And more on that study

Nine things you need to know about cancer surge among under-50s | Cancer | The Guardian

Being healthy will protect you from certain cancers - eg colon cancer has a link with processed meat, lung cancer is linked to smoking etc; but it can’t protect from other cancers with different causes - whether genetic inheritance; environmental - eg chemical exposure; microbial - eg helicobacter pylori, HPV virus etc. However - the stronger you are physically and mentally, the better your immune system and emotional balance - that will give you the best chance of overcoming it and coping with the treatment.

We will have to agree to disagree here. I think ultimately we have the same conclusion - you can live a healthy lifestyle and still get cancer.

But we do not know the ins and out of her lifestyle and most people are just using her appearance (& mainly slimness) to guess she is healthy. To me that is no different than the speculators that she is unhealthy.

No - being healthy will reduce the risk of certain cancers. Not protect.

eg helicobacter pylori

Is h.pylori linked to cancer? I’ve had this, I had no idea. The doctors also weren’t able to say if the anti-biotics worked.

In this case protect from and reduce the risk comes the same thing.

Yes there’s a link to stomach cancer if untreated. It’s relatively easy to treat though.

Thanks, think I’m going to get re-tested. My dad died of pancreatic cancer so I’m a bit worried with any stomach issues.

Yes we will have to agree to disagree m. I do think it’s distasteful to imply she is a smoker/eats crap and that is why this is happened. I do believe people do this as a self preservation mechanism- so they don’t have to consider that this could possibly happen to them.

I am not sure what you are both disagreeing on?

Do you both agree that you can both be healthy and still get cancer?
Do you both agree that if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, you are more likely to get cancer?

She could have an unhealthy lifestyle. Or maybe she doesn't. Who knows?

On the important things I think we agree.

Do you both agree that you can both be healthy and still get cancer? yes
Do you both agree that if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, you are more likely to get cancer? yes

She could have an unhealthy lifestyle. Or maybe she doesn't. Who knows? exactly

It's very worthwhile living a healthy life. I had a really serious illness. But I attribute my excellent recovery to lots of exercise and relatively healthy lifestyle over many decades.

This is one possibility but you could also see as them saying slimness is not the only indicator of health, smoking etc impacts your health /it is not just what you see on the outside that shows a person is healthy or stress is a factor too. Not tat anyone deserves cancer because of any of these things or others... there are just factors that increase risks.