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.

Other than not smoking, I don’t think there is any proven way to ‘not get cancer’.

Living as healthily as we can with the knowledge we have will help reduce our chances of getting preventable life-limiting conditions - diabetes, heart disease etc. But we don’t know enough about cancer to prevent it in all its forms.

Might as well be as healthy as you can in your lifestyle and try not to worry. M

The younger people I know who have had cancer have mostly survived it.

The two people I know who died young from cancer were:

A friend who never had a smear test and found out she had cervical cancer when it was final stage and had spread to her lungs (so probably would’ve been treatable if picked up at a smear, sadly).

And my best friend, who had a rare and aggressive form of cancer that seems indiscriminate and nobody yet knows why some people get it. She was fit, non smoker, very healthy eater etc. who knows why she got it?

Agree with Pootlin. General health upkeep is worth the effort.

"And my best friend, who had a rare and aggressive form of cancer that seems indiscriminate and nobody yet knows why some people get it. She was fit, non smoker, very healthy eater etc. who knows why she got it"

Genetics most likely

You have no idea if she was living healthily or not.

Lots of thin, famous people are very unhealthy and don't get the nutrients they need but have great make up and clothes and are of course slim so appear healthy.

Mirander Kerr looks the picture of health but I saw a video and she opened up about what she ate and it was an eye opener! Far from healthy

In some ways I both agree and disagree. The science shows eating healthy and regular exercise to reduce chances but not necessarily completely erase. My mother has had several life impacting/limiting illnesses, she never smoked or drunk alcohol but OTOH, she didn’t regularly exercise or eat healthily. I aim to eat healthily and exercise regularly but I don’t think that I necessarily guarantees anything (as per above, down circumstances and potentially genetics). I do think however that it may give you a better chance of recovery and to be stronger to fight side effects of the illnesses so strive to continue the way I am.

YABU. The Princess of Wales is one person. The fact that she has unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer does not constitute a statistical study.

Cancer is uncontrolled cell division. There are many steps involved in controlling and regulating cell division. It takes just one of those steps to go wrong and you have cancer. There are so many different forms of it - so much potential for it to go wrong.

Some of it is down to the genes.
Some of it is down to how our DNA can be damaged - which affects anything in the cell division regulation pathway - and some foods / lifestyles can exacerbate such damage, others can reduce such damage.

We won't be able to cure cancer - but we can significantly reduce its impact and reduce the chances of developing it

But why oh why are you going on about her being unhealthy. Even if she was - so she is to blame for getting cancer?

What am I reading on here after everything? Her being thin has caused cancer, she’s a secret smoker. Just give over now everyone. You can do everything right and still get cancer. And you can be very unhealthy and escape. That is the bottom line. Does it make you feel better that you are trying to find a reason for her cancer? So you can avoid it as you are sooo much healthier? Sorry everyone on this planet has a 50% chance of getting cancer. Wake up.

not read the full thread but the other thing to think about is recovery.... already having a healthy lifestyle would make recovery much easier

It’s not cancer itself that I mean. It’s all the illnesses we are warned about getting if we lead an unhealthy lifestyle. It is heart disease I worry about.

I suppose a large part of it is because of the constant battering we get through media etc. I regularly turn the radio over because it is warning that smoking/eating/drinking can cause however many types of cancer, or not exercising for however many minutes a week can lead to heart disease.

They have long made me anxious, and so it just feels it’s being a bit mis-sold. I know I’m being unreasonable, I know it’s statistical and not anecdotal, but the constant barrage of, what feels like, warnings to have as few pleasures (for me) like white Warburtons bread, a steak and wine, or you’re not being responsible with your health, feels… I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe it. Like militant warnings. It’s an overreaction maybe (unlike the smoking warnings which have clear results).

Most of the people i know who had cancer smoked. Or they had heart attack or stroke.
My relative smoked 15-50 had heart attack survived and has mild copd.

Whereas for prostate cancer that does seem to affect relatively healthy men.

Afaik Having dc later removes the protective affect of having dc on breasts
Not sure on affect on say uterine cancer.

You can even get cancer pregnancy - molar.

Plus us older women didnt get the cervical cancer vaccine.

Older houses and schools with asbestos

Tbh i think KC gettong cancer is more surprising as he is slim, his parents and nan lived to good age. He will have been brought up from birth with better diet.

This. It's anecdata.

Relative risk is useful to know

Something could "double your risk". But if say out of 100,000 people, 1 would get a form of cancer and then doing something would mean that 2 in 100,000 people would get it, would you do it?

It's doubling the risk. But it's a very low risk

We already know that environment plays a significant role in the likelihood of developing cancers. For example, nearly half of lung cancers in non smokers are believed to be linked to air pollution. Head and neck and nasopharyngeal cancers are also associated with air pollution.

OP I kind of agree with you that people make the whole food thing unnecessarily militant. having a bit of warburtons white bread if that's what you fancy (I prefer Japanese milk bread - try it if you like white bread) or steak etc. is not going to kill you. as with anything, moderation is the key. we only live once, so why not enjoy things in moderation.

None of us will die healthy anyway.

I can see your point but I echo what some other posters have said. Living healthily improves your chances - it doesn't eliminate them. And frankly speaking, I think too many people DO just think fuck it and ear badly and never exercise, thinking that the NHS is there to pick up the slack for them. Far far too many people live like this - you see them in doctors surgeries up and down the land. People in their 40s and 50s who have never taken care of themselves in their lives and seem to see ill health as inevitable rather than unlucky. If more people took better care of themselves, there would be more resources for the unlucky ones.

Besides which, being in good fitness means life is more enjoyable while you are in good health.

But I do agree that the current relentless barrage of doom laden messages is counter productive.

They should stop selling this shit if it's that harmful

A healthy lifestyle improves your chances and, if you do get ill, gives you a better chance of recovery. It’s also a better way to live in itself- I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve been slobby and periods when I have been very health-focused and the latter were much more enjoyable. Lounging around eating crap isn’t as much fun as you’d think.

You're right. I've reported it to MN and asked them to remove it.

I stand by none of us knowing how healthy her lifestyle is though

YADBU as you seem to not have an understanding of what increasing or mitigating risk is. Wouldn’t you rather stack the odds for you rather than against? Healthy
Ivi g increases the chances of good health, it doesn’t give guarantees.

Ffs! We actually don’t know how ‘healthy’ her lifestyle was/is.

YABU. Living healthy is going to reduce your chances of cancer, heart disease, joint pain, sleep quality…. Basically lots of health problems.

we don’t know what type of cancer she has. Breast cancer for example is dependent on several factors including hormone receptors, proteins and genetic factors.

Keep on living healthy, attend screening and check body for changes and symptoms

YABU, cancer isn't the only reason to live healthily and plent of healthy-living people get cancer. My aunt was very healthy and a vegan (when it was a very rare thing in the 80s) and still sadly died of cancer.

I had a problem on my ECG which led me to Long QT syndrome. Your heart takes longer than normal to repolarise and it can lead to fainting, blackouts and sudden death. Often, fit, young people who participate in strenuous sport. If not brought on by medication, it’s a genetic condition. Luckily it’s rare-but don’t ignore unexplained fainting, especially in a young person. My doctor was reassuring and said that something would’ve happened by now if there was going to be a problem-comforting to know!