Government must act on cancer report

1 November 2007

Government must act on cancer report

The government is not doing all it should to protect people from cancer, says Dr Robyn Toomath from FOE (Fight the Obesity Epidemic). Dr Toomath was commenting on the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) report released today linking cancer increases to the world-wide obesity epidemic.

Dr Toomath was not surprised by the findings. "This is yet another example of the damage to our health resulting from our increasingly toxic environment", she said.

Dr Toomath said that many people had genes making it inevitable they would put on unhealthy weight in the wrong environment. "Asking these people to avoid obesity-promoting features of the environment is like asking them not to breathe the air."

"It's up to the government to protect people from cancer by regulating this toxic environment", Dr Toomath argued. "Avoiding preventable cancers by making it easier for people to make healthy choices is by far the best option."

Dr Toomath listed much stronger restrictions on the advertising of junk food, tax changes to encourage healthy eating and introduction of a 'traffic lights' food labelling system as measures the government needs to take immediately.

ENDS

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