| Winter
2004• Volume XIII, Number 1
American Cancer Society Sells Out
By Kristine Kieswer
PCRM's billboard near ACS Headquarters challenged the
medical inconsistencies of "Cattle Barons' Ball"
fund-raisers.
|
A wealth of scientific research has shown that meaty diets increase
cancer risk. But to this the American Cancer Society (ACS) apparently
says, “So what?” For a recent major fundraising campaign,
it teamed up with Buckhead Beef Company to host a “Cattle
Barons’ Ball” in Atlanta. Meals were donated by none
other than Outback Steakhouse and featured beef tenderloin, crab
cakes, and lamb. ACS divisions across the United States have used
the same format to rake in millions of dollars.
The truth is, animal products are the very culprits linked to high
rates of cancer in Western countries, a fact not entirely lost on
the ACS. Its Web site urges consumers to limit their intake of meat,
acknowledging that “population studies have linked vegetarian
diets with a decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood
pressure, obesity, and colon cancer.” But instead of disseminating
these findings far and wide, the ACS promotes Western-themed galas
that are sure to weaken the public’s already shaky understanding
of what contributes to cancer development.
Physicians Fight Back
PCRM’s national campaign helped set the record straight. A
billboard was erected near ACS headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., introducing
a specially designed Web site, www.AmericanCancerSocietyPromotesDisease.org,
where visitors can access information about diet and cancer prevention.
Radio, television, and newspaper interviews were given, including
a frank commentary by epidemiologist Dr. Jina Shah in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution pointing to the fact that an estimated one-third
of annual cancer deaths are due to dietary factors, including meat
consumption.
Ron Allison, M.D., a radiation oncologist and cancer researcher
in Greenville, N.C., said, “Every physician who treats cancer
knows that a meat-based diet is linked to higher cancer risk. The
American Cancer Society knows it, too, and it should be encouraging
people to improve their eating habits, not promoting an unhealthy
diet.”
|
Reality Check |
|
Harvard University has conducted studies involving tens
of thousands of participants showing that regular meat consumption
can raise colon cancer risk by approximately 300 percent.
Late last year, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
reported that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal
women who ate the most animal fat was a third higher than
that of women who ate the least animal fat. A separate study,
published recently in Lancet, linked diets high in
saturated fat to breast cancer.
But this isn’t exactly news. As long ago as 1982, the
National Research Council linked dietary habits—particularly
the intake of fatty foods, such as beef—to cancer risk.
Since then, other major health authorities have come out with
similar findings. The scientific literature has solidified
the case against meat consumption, but ACS does little to
communicate the message effectively. And by partnering with
beef producers, it is shamelessly promoting the very disease
it has pledged to stop.
|
What You Can Do
Write or call ACS and insist that it promote cancer prevention and
cut its ties with the meat industry.
John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-4251
jseffrin@cancer.org
tel: 404-320-3333, fax: 404-327-6589
Please spread the word to individuals, organizations, and online
listservs interested in a progressive approach to cancer that keeps
prevention and nutrition up front. If you are looking for a way
to promote efforts for cancer prevention, support PCRM’s Cancer
Project (www.CancerProject.org).
Media
Center | Health | Research
| About PCRM | Catalog
| Join Us | Search
| Site Index | Home
The site does
not provide medical or legal advice. This Web site is for information purposes
only.
Full Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
|
