So tell me how ham and bacon (in particular) are so deadly and why I should eliminate them from my diet.

[northender]

This was how this study was just reported on Radio 2 news. I realise bacon is high in salt and fat but as such it is cured pork so should we eliminate pork too? Bacon and ham were the 2 foods quoted that should not be eaten at all, not shitty value pork pies or sausages from the supermarket. This sort of reporting makes me so

As Peter Ustinov once said, 'there are few pleasures I would forego for an extra ten years in an old people's home ...'

I've always been a bit dubious of pig in any form. We are too genetically close for comfort for my liking. Though I do eat it, just not as often as some other meats. I probably eat too much beef.

But you are all of course right, you probably won't live any longer, it'll just feel that way, if you follow all these silly rules.

My personal take on it is that sometimes cancer is just something that happens because your body is not meant to survive forever and has a sell by date. You could follow all these rules and if you are genetically predisposed to getting a certain type of cancer, you may still get it. Life's cruel and unusual in that respect.

Upwind, one hundred cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed EVERY DAY, so undoubtedly and unfortunately you will, at some point, know someone with it. It is a very common form of cancer.

Doesn't bacon have some sort of dodgy preservative in it (a sulphate? Not sure what it is called, not a dietician nor a chemist ), but I remember being told not give to young children for this reason. Remember trawling round the butchers for organic/free range bacon without this additive, but not being able to find any.

And of course, bacon, ham & sausages are usually fairly high in fat & salt.

Suedonim - from the first page of this thread. That is great - I love it. And TheEvilDediderata - how true is that. My father in law (who incidentally has always had cooked breakfasts - with bacon - and a bag of salt and vinegar crisps a day) is over 90. I would say that a caged animal has a greater quality of life. Okay we don't want to die at 47, but long life does not equate to a happy one. I would rather have a lethal injection than end up like some elderly people today.

The man on the radio said that being obese could lead to an increased possibility of cancer and so people should avoid getting fat. I wonder how fat he is? People like this should be required to give their own BMI index before even opening their mouths. Does he think that people set out in life to become obese? What do you want to be when you grow up? Oh, morbidly obese.

The govt sit there tucking into their taxpayers banquets and then tell us we can't have a bag of chips on a Saturday night. Phewee!!

Glad you liked it, Figroll.

Lets face it, getting older is a main cause of cancer and there isn't a thing we can do about that! The rule about not putting weight on after the age of 21 must be an almost impossible one for most people to adhere to. The only person I can think of who weighs the same at 50+yrs as they did at 21 is my sister and quite frankly, she looks terrible, plus has had melanoma, though thankfully made a full recovery.

Such messages, whilst they are well-meaning, do run the risk of either boring or overloading people with information, thereby defeating the object of the exercise. I agree with others that moderation is the way to go.

I was a chubby child, well built teenager, nicely upholstered adult, and since I was 40 I have progressively weighed less and less.

No ill health, just seems to happen to most females in my family!

I'm just off to make a ham sandwich for lunch

I couldn't help but think the advice to "stay as thin as possible without being underweight" sends very damaging messages - are there not already enough young girls (and boys) with eating disorders because they want to be "thin"??

Also this news came on the day that we got a letter home from DS1's nursery telling us that one of the people who used to work in the nursery, but now works in the Children's Centre (Sure Start) on the otherside of the building has terminal cancer. She's as thin as a rake (and has been since DS1 went there 3yrs ago) - and in her 30's - so obviously being "thin" didn't do her much good

So we should all not eat bacon/ham/pork and then we don't die?

Sparky don't forget also to forgo your eggs (cholestrol), cheese (fat and salt), crisps (ditto), alcohol (just plain bad for you and it makes you fat), white bread (ditto except for the fat bit). If you do this you will become immortal.

I think I ought to go off and hide somewhere now, I am clearly becoming far too cynical for my own good.

I miss my modest glass of wine in the evenings, sniff!

There are too many conflicting reports about what we should and shouldn't be eating...it gets confusing and I for on can't be arsed to take it on board any more because next week there'll probably be a report saying exactly the opposite.

FWIW though in one of the links someone posted further down about the study, it talked about risks associated with consuming a large amount of red meat over a long period of time. I have no idea what that means actually...five steaks a day for 50 years? once a day for 10 years? until I see the actual paper I don't know...but it could be outside the realm of what most people would actually eat so perhaps not that much to worry about.

heard yesterday that alcohol also increases your risk of cancer.
And there was I thinking it (well red wine anyway) reduced the risk of heart disease. Harumph. Like I said, I'm just not listening any more lalala i can't hear you....

harumph again- just looked at the link again...

ok it does quote the amounts...
about 85g (3oz) or more a day for men
about 55g (2oz) or more a day for women

that's not that much is it
oh well...
but do most people eat red meat every single day? i doubt it somehow

moderation moderation moderation

I keep dipping in and out of this thread but agree with so much of what has been said. Last night on BBC news fruit juice was also included in the list of foods to avoid along with alcohol ham and bacon!

Should've added a at the end of that post!

As a medical student friend once said to me:

"Government health warning: Living can damage your health"

That was probably about 30 years ago - not in the more recent 'nanny state' times.

The link between nitrite in cured meats and cancer has been around for a long time. I don't think the red meat one is that recent either. As to the advice to stay the same weight as when you were 21... humph, the skinny guy being interviewed by Paxman obviously had never had a baby . I did wonder if that meant that all teenagers should be encouraged to gain some padding before that age and keep it.

Aren't nitrates only used in packaged meat? They maintain the colour and extend the shelf life? If ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid is added, the risk is reduced/neutralised.

I only buy meat from the butcher now. It's cheaper, fresher, better quality and the ham actually gets sliced off a piece of meat rather than the reformed bits of a pig. (Read 'not on the label' if you don't know what most supermarket ham is made of!).

The report says to avoid red meat - is pork red meat? I thought red meat was lamb and beef? No mention of them tho?

Red meat = cholesterol
processed foods (incl. porc)=chemical additives

All this gets stored in fatty tissue and toxins remain in fatty tissue. The more fat stores you have, the more toxins add up layer upon layer in your body during your life. Thus making canccer risk higher. We breath pollutants and can do nothing about it. we can do smthg about what we ingest. well, try at least.

This is no different from health warnings against tobacco use and binge drinking.
You can turn a blind eye if you want or you can balance your diet with more fresh unprocessed vegetarian foods.

can somebody help me out there?
my uncle died of bowel cancer (thin, fit, non drinker aged 59 but he was living in dubai and ate few vegetables)
my grandmother died of stomach cancer
i don't have the best stomach/bowel in the world (when i get stressed... not good).

anyway, i do think i am pre-disposed to this type of cancer and therefore would like to manage my risk as best i can.

is organic ham off the bone ok? that's mostly what i buy these days... surely that's far different to the cheapest value pre-packed ham?

is chilli/lasagne etc a couple of times a week made with organic lean mince and packed with beans/vegetables ok?

is the odd gorgeous piece of fillet steak in a restaurant ok?

surely it's not black and white here is it?

I have come to the conclusion that food is bad for you. So I am going to give it up and watch myself become perfectly healthy.

Are Greggs sausage rolls ok? They probably don't contain any actual pork, do they?

A little bit of what you fancy does no harm, IMO.

I think living is bad for you full-stop.

We are living longer now so more of us are going to get cancer.
But I honestly don't think worrying about the exact quantity of beef or ham you eat is the answer (although that's easy for me to say as I don't eat meat at all). Try and eat lots of fruit and veg and things that you know are good for you, eat less of the stuff that may be bad for you, don't drink too much alcohol. I think that's the best we can do!