this post was submitted on 26 May 2024
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2000s: Bacon achieves God-like status (apparently as a result of industry efforts)
2024: 500% surge in colorectal cancer among young people since 1999
Bacon is one of very few foods on the WHOs "definitely causes cancer" list. I'm guessing it comes as no surprise that this increase in cancer can possibly be explained by companies pushing profit.
I don’t think people started eating THAT much more bacon, although I am sure that all processed meats are a quick road to cancertown if you eat more than a tiny tiny amount
My money would be on a confluence of all sorts of various cancer causing things in our food and environment, each of which produces a significant but small impact on its own, and then maybe like 1-2 big ones which we will never really find out about
Yeah, all processed meat has the same problem (nitrates), but I think you're right, bacon consumption probably hasn't increased enough to account for it all. I believe colorectal cancers have a very strong link with diet, though, so it's probably bacon along with many other foods that all come together to amplify it.
Is any of the 500% rise explained by better testing?
My first thought was microplastics and pfas, but I'm unaware of any studies delving into it.
Obesity is also a huge cancer risk factor (especially in under 55s) across most organs, and as we know obesity rates have increased a lot over recent decades.
However, this may well be a symptom. Obesity may be from the bad diet, and the diet may be the real cancer driver.
There are also studies connecting a lack if exercise with an increased cancer risk. But again it's hard to tell if it's an underlying cause.
When I've dug into this before, it's easy to find many studies connecting cancer and various foods or lifestyle choices, but it's also easy to find conflicting studies, which may be an indication that things are more complex than they appear.