Cancer Prevention Awareness Week 2021
Our annual campaign focused on how lockdowns in Britain because of COVID resulted in more people living unhealthily
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In March 2021, we revealed the results of a survey of more than 2,000 people in the UK showing that, since the first lockdown in March 2020, adults were twice as likely to have started eating more unhealthy food and snacks than to have started exercising: 2 in 5 (40%) of adults had started eating more unhealthy food and snacks, while only 1 in 5 (22%) had started exercising.
In addition, more than a quarter of adults (27%) said they had started drinking more alcohol.
Overall, more than half of respondents (51%) said they had adopted no new healthy habits since the first lockdown such as exercising more, drinking less alcohol and sugary drinks, stopping smoking, eating less processed meat and high-calorie foods, and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Activ8: Eat Well, Move More
We aimed to support people to explore ways of healthy living that they could take up with our Activ8: Eat Well, Move More plan.
The free 8-week e-newsletter delivered recipes, inspiration and step-by-step expert advice on nutrition and physical activity straight to people’s inbox, all based on World Cancer Research Fund’s Cancer Prevention Recommendations.
Nearly 2,000 supporters also signed up to our Prevention Pledge, agreeing to adopt our 10 Cancer Prevention Recommendations and make them part of their everyday lives.
More bowel and breast cancer could be prevented
Estimates drawn from the UK population highlighted that two of the most common forms of cancer, bowel and breast, are more preventable than thought, according to research funded by World Cancer Research Fund.
In March 2021, we revealed the results of a study by Ed Giovannucci, Prof of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, showing that 67% of UK bowel cancer cases in men and 60% of bowel cancer cases in women could be prevented by modifiable risk factors – this means the cause of the cancer could have been Higher number of bowel and breast cancer cases can be prevented through lifestyle changesmodified or changed, and was not genetically or biologically predetermined to happen.
The study also found that modifiable factors are responsible for 27% of breast cancer cases in women.
For both colorectal and breast cancer, it's important to note that the more risk factors that are addressed, the greater the impact will be on an individual’s overall risk.
Preventing cancer. Saving lives
While society continues to search for a cure, our prevention and survival work helps people to live longer, healthier lives – free from the devastating effects of cancer.