Cancer 'Caused By Obesity And Bad Diet'

Enda Brady, Sky News reporter

Read the text and choose the best option for the questions below.

More than 100,000 cancers - a third of all those diagnosed each year in this country - are caused by smoking, alcohol, unhealthy diets and obesity, research has revealed.

The most comprehensive review of cancer and lifestyles ever conducted in the UK showed 45% of all cancers in men could be prevented, compared with 40% of cancers in women.

Smoking is still the most important factor when it comes to causing cancer - responsible for 23% of cancers in men and 15.6% in women.

But the review also found a lack of fruit and vegetables is responsible for 6.1% of cancers in men, while being overweight causes 6.9% of cancers in women.

"Many people believe cancer is down to fate or 'in the genes' and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it," said Professor Max Parkin, a cancer expert at Queen Mary, University of London.

"Looking at all the evidence, it is clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change.

"We did not expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer".

"And, among women, we did not expect being overweight to have a greater effect than alcohol."

The work by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) found there were an estimated 314,250 cases of cancer across the country last year, with tobacco responsible for causing 60,837 of them.

Sara Hiom, from CRUK, said: "We know, especially during the Christmas party season, that it is hard to watch what you eat and limit alcohol and we do not want people to feel guilty about having a drink or indulging a bit more than usual.

"But it is very important for people to understand that long-term changes to their lifestyles can really reduce their cancer risk."

Cancer survivor Jackie Gledhill recalled how she changed her lifestyle after beating thyroid cancer.

"I started doing some exercise, just step by step until I got fitter," she told Sky News Online.

"I now watch what I eat and I only drink socially, which is not very much at all.

"Everyone can make changes and give themselves more of a chance.

"Little things help, even parking the car further away from the supermarket and walking that distance instead."

The full research has been published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Dr Harpal Kumar, the charity's chief executive, added: "Leading a healthy life does not guarantee that a person will not get cancer but this study shows that healthy habits can significantly stack the odds in our favour."

Text from http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16125158

1.    The research on cancer is regarded as … one

      

A.	a voluminous
B.	a worlwide
C.	an exhaustive

2.    Almost … of smokers end up having cancer

A.	a third
B.	half the population
C.	40%

3.    … run a higher risk

A.	Christmas party goers
B.	Non-vegetable male eaters
C.	Seasonal overweight females

4.    It is generally believed that getting cancer is …

      

A.	an avoidable issue
B.	just a question of chance
C.	part of an individual’s will power

5.    Some of the results drawn by the research were …

A.	already known
B.	fully shocking
C.	revealing

6.    Christmas is known as a time …

A.	for guilt
B.	to allow yourself some excess
C.	when women go overweight

7.    Jackie Gledhill … cancer

      

A.	changed her lifestyle abruptly after
B.	never drank outdoors before
C.	remembered her experience with

8.    The study has been printed …

A.	but it’s not complete yet
B.	for British journalists
C.	in a medical magazine

9.    Dr. Kumar …

A.	executes a charity
B.	manages British charity
C.	works for a non-profit organization

10.  Sound habits …

A.	are a synonym of a cancer-free life
B.	lead to favourable odds
C.	minimize cancer risk factors

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