Red meats, processed meats linked to higher risk of cancer

People who consume processed and precooked meats could be at a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study.

The World Health Organization announced red meat, bacon, sausage and other processed meats are linked to higher risks of cancer. The WHO panel gave evidence suggesting that an additional 3.5 ounces of red meat everyday raises the risk of colorectal cancer by 17 percent; eating an additional 1.8 ounces daily increases the risk to 18 percent, according to The Washington Post.

The average risk for Americans getting colorectal cancer is 5 percent, which includes people who are at higher risk because of genetics or gender (men are at a higher risk). Colorectal cancer is a common form of cancer in the United States and the 18 percent risk is noteworthy, according to Los Angeles Times.

Senior Mallory Mager said the new study did not have shocking information about linking some meat to cancer.

“I feel like there is a lot more awareness in America about what we’re eating and what we’re putting in our bodies,” Mager said. “Cancer is obviously a big thing that people are worried about, but I think people are just trying to find connections to everything to cancer because they want to know what they can do to not get cancer.”

Senior Colin Prevatt said the study should not alarm us too much.

“The World Health Organization has an obligation to inform us of any health risk that things may propose,” Prevatt said. “It’s good to watch out for our health, but not so much that we worry ourselves sick about it.”

Prevatt said cancer “caused” by meat is a strong word, because there are many things that contribute to cancer and to say that the food causes cancer is misleading.

“I think it’s important that World Health Organization lets us know, at least so we understand any risk that might be involved,” Prevatt said.

Prevatt said most people should be safe as long as they do not eat excessive amounts of meat.

“If you overeat anything, it’s going to affect your overall health,” Prevatt said. “If you’re eating red meat or processed meat, like multiple times a day, is when it’s going to be a big factor.”

Freshman Christian Lee has been a vegan for six months and said he realized he felt better with that lifestyle.

“The biggest reason I stay away from meat is because of the issue of not hurting anything,” Lee said. “But at the same time it’s interesting if you look at the biblical record in Genesis, because that originally supports that people were not supposed to eat meat.”

Lee said people continue to eat meat as long as society is pushing them to consume it.

“We’re being told that is the healthiest thing,” Lee said. “Which is why people drink milk and dairy with nearly every meal and we try to claim that’s healthy.”

According to Prevatt, people should know that processed meat is a factor in causing cancer, but we should not be told what to eat.

“It’s important for us to know, but it’s also important for us to be able to make our own informed decision about things,” Prevatt said.

Mager said people should be aware of what is going into their bodies because the meat most people eat is processed.

“I think that it’s our job to take initiative and look into what we’re eating because – there’s a lot of discrepancies and most of the things we eat are processed,” Mager said.

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