By Min Zan

DID you know that every year, cancer claims more lives than wars, natural disasters, and accidents com­bined? Cancer is one of the most feared diseases of modern times. It does not discriminate by age, gen­der, or background, and it contin­ues to claim millions of lives each year across the globe. Among the many types of cancer, lung cancer stands out as particularly deadly. In fact, only lung cancer kills more people in a single year than all criminal and accidental deaths combined. This statistic is shock­ing and sobering, yet there is also some good news. Thanks to dec­ades of medical research, health campaigns, and public awareness efforts, many people are now in­formed about the risks associated with lung cancer. They know that their chances of developing this terrible disease decrease dramat­ically if they stop smoking or avoid smoking altogether. Antismoking campaigns are everywhere – on television, the radio, billboards, and social media – and they have saved countless lives.

Unfortunately, the same level of awareness does not exist for many other types of cancer. A large portion of the population remains unaware that their everyday be­haviour – their eating habits, phys­ical activity, and lifestyle choices – can play a major role in whether they develop cancer in the future. Unlike infectious diseases that can often be cured with medicine, cancer is difficult to treat once it appears. Prevention, therefore, is the best protection. By eating a healthier diet, exercising regu­larly, protecting themselves from harmful sunlight, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle, people can significantly reduce their risks of several common cancers.

Diet and Cancer

Food is one of the most nec­essary aspects of life, but it can also become a silent killer if people make unhealthy choices. Instead of eating foods that nourish the body, many people today consume large amounts of unhealthy items such as hamburgers, French fries, fried chicken, and pizza. These popular fast foods often contain high levels of saturated fat and trans-fat, both of which are consid­ered among the most dangerous types of fat. Diets heavy in such foods do not only contribute to obesity and heart disease; they also increase the risk of certain cancers, including breast, pancre­atic, and colon cancer.

Although light, low-fat, and fat-free products are constantly being introduced in the market, many consumers still prefer high-fat foods simply because they taste better or because they are cheaper and more convenient. However, taste and convenience come at a high price — poor long-term health. Nutritionists warn that a continuous diet of fatty foods can make the body more vulnerable to cancer by promoting inflamma­tion and weakening the immune system.

Another major dietary prob­lem today is the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in the modern diet. People in the past, often without knowing much about nutrition, ate healthier because their meals were based on locally grown, sea­sonal foods.

They consumed vegetables, whole grains, and fruits in larg­er quantities, which provided them with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibre. In contrast, many people today rely heavily on processed foods. These foods, though convenient, usually lack natural fibre and contain large amounts of sugar, salt, and preservatives. Fibre is essential for digestion and helps prevent colon cancer by moving waste through the intestines more effectively. Without it, harm­ful substances may stay longer in the body and increase cancer risk. Ironically, people with less information about nutrition in the past often had better diets than the well-informed consumers of today. As a result, they experi­enced fewer cases of cancer.

Weight, Inactivity, and Can­cer

Another growing concern is obesity, which has reached ep­idemic levels in many parts of the world. Being overweight has been strongly linked not only to heart disease and diabetes but also to several cancers, such as breast cancer in postmenopau­sal women, oesophageal cancer, and kidney cancer. Excess body fat can produce hormones and growth factors that encourage the development of cancer cells.

A major reason for wide­spread obesity today is the sed­entary lifestyle associated with modern society. Since television sets became a standard feature in almost every household, people have been spending more time sitting on couches and eating snacks rather than moving their bodies. This phenomenon gave rise to the term “couch potato”. Today, with the addition of com­puters, smartphones, and video games, people spend even more hours sitting, often snacking mindlessly on chips, candy, or sugary drinks.

In the past, people lived more physically active lives. They walked to work, did more manual labour, and engaged in outdoor activities as part of their daily routine. Today, by contrast, many jobs involve sitting at desks for long hours, commuting by car or bus, and exercising very little. This lack of physical activity not only increases the risk of obesity but also reduces overall health, weakens the immune system, and makes the body less capa­ble of fighting off abnormal cell growth.

Health experts strongly rec­ommend that people maintain a healthy weight through a com­bination of a balanced diet and regular physical exercise. It is not enough to focus on only one of these factors. Cutting back on cal­ories without exercise often leads to temporary weight loss that is quickly regained. Likewise, exer­cising without adjusting one’s diet may not be enough to counteract the harmful effects of unhealthy eating. True long-term health requires both dietary improve­ments and consistent physical activity.

Sun Exposure and Skin Can­cer

One of the fastest-rising forms of cancer worldwide is skin cancer. Health officials are alarmed by the growing number of cases, especially in countries where a tanned complexion is considered fashionable or attrac­tive. On weekends and holidays, many people rush to the beach or swimming pool and spend long hours under the sun, often with­out adequate protection. Many of them do not apply sunscreen properly – or fail to use it at all – and the result is frequent sun­burns.

Sunburn damages the skin at a cellular level, and repeat­ed damage over the years may eventually lead to skin cancer. What makes this particularly dan­gerous is that once the skin has been damaged, the harm cannot be undone. The mutations caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation re­main in the cells and may later develop into cancer. This is why prevention is absolutely essential.

In the past, people did not intentionally lie in the sun for hours just to achieve a tan. As a result, skin cancer was far less common. Today, however, due to changing beauty standards and leisure activities, millions of people are putting themselves at risk. The good news is that awareness about sunscreen use has been increasing. Doctors rec­ommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding direct sunlight during peak hours (10 am to 4 pm). Nevertheless, millions of people already carry damage in their skin from years of unprotected exposure, and they may develop cancer later in life.

The Role of Awareness and Education

Cancer has existed since ancient times, but it is only in recent decades that the public has begun to understand the many risk factors involved. Ant­ismoking campaigns have been particularly effective in saving lives by reducing lung cancer rates. However, lung cancer is only one part of the story. Oth­er preventable cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer, also deserve strong public awareness campaigns.

If governments, schools, and media organizations put as much effort into promoting prop­er nutrition, physical activity, and sun protection as they do into anti-smoking advertisements, the number of overall cancer cases could decline significantly. Edu­cation is one of the most powerful tools for prevention. When peo­ple understand the connection between their daily choices and long-term health, they are more likely to make positive changes.

Cancer is a complex disease with many causes, but a signifi­cant portion of it is preventable. By adopting healthier diets, maintaining proper weight, ex­ercising regularly, and protecting themselves from harmful sun­light, people can reduce their risks considerably. Society has already seen progress in reduc­ing lung cancer deaths through anti-smoking efforts. Now, the challenge is to extend that suc­cess to other lifestyle-related can­cers. With greater awareness, collective responsibility, and per­sonal commitment, the number of cancer cases worldwide could be reduced, leading to longer, health­ier lives for millions of people.