iblog

Rushda: A huge international study based on lifestyle has recently found that body weight and eating habits strongly influence the risk of developing cancer. The new advice given by The World Cancer Research Fund, based on the “biggest study ever”, is that even if you are not overweight you could significantly lower your cancer risk by slimming down even more, and furthermore they also advise tough nutritional measures such as cutting out all bacon and ham from the diet altogether.

Before this study, the advice was always to stick to a moderate diet and stay within the healthy weight range (i.e. a Body Mass Index of between 18.5 and 25). However, experts now say that the closer you are to the lower end of the healthy spectrum, the better. Indeed, everyone should try and become as thin as possible without being underweight.

Though there is still much research to be done into the causes of cancer, it is important that everyone realises how much their lifestyle can affect their risk. Though only a third of all cancers are due to lifestyle conditions, following simple health advice could cut three million new cases of cancer across the world a year. As Professor Wiseman from the research group says:

“Cancer is not a fate, it is a matter of risk, and you can adjust those risks by how you behave. It is very important that people feel that they are in control of what they do.”

A more comprehensive list of advice is given below:

1. Reduce red meat consumption.
2. Drink less alcohol.
3. Avoid all processed meats - including bacon, ham, salami, etc.
4. Avoid fizzy drinks.
5. Stay as thin as possible without becoming underweight.
6. Exercise every day.
7. Breastfeed children.

Subsequent to the results of the study, many have protested that the radical advice given by scientists is progressively becoming more and more difficult to manage and hence quite ridiculous. However, it is clear that the evidence given is not simply a case of “scaremongering” but supported by compelling reasons. Indeed the experts say that their new list is simply recommendations rather than commandments. And personally, most of the recommendations seem very reasonable if not also obvious. Whether anyone acts on it is a different matter, but it makes sense that a healthy diet will always promote a healthier lifestyle - and hence reduce the risk of fatal disease.

Jeanne: Cape Town is currently embarking on a new initiative to go green. With the help of 2 of South Africa’s largest energy companies, the city has installed 4 solar-powered traffic lights at different points throughout the town and suburbs. It is hoped that this project will encourage the implementation of other green initiatives across the country. South Africa, like other developing nations, has often overlooked environmental issues in favour of economic advancements.

The traffic lights utilise a 3.6 square metre solar panel. It is hoped that these panels, which have been specifically designed to capture as much of the sun’s rays as possible, will also be cost-effective. The traffic lights have also been fitted with specialised LEDs designed to use considerably less power than conventional traffic lights. However, the South African authorities are leaving little to chance. Evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of the project are to be carried out after 3 months. Furthermore, in order to discourage vandalism, designers have installed the device atop 16-metre-high poles. Batteries are encased in concrete boxes to prevent them from being stolen and used for other purposes.

Cape Town’s director of transport and roads explained the rationale behind the aforementioned plan in a recent interview with news agencies:

“The city is very much environmentally conscious. We are hoping to get uninterrupted power supply for traffic lights in Cape Town so when there are power outages like we have had over the past 2 years, we will not have traffic jams. Power interruptions mean traffic officers have to be sent to the affected junctions, and given the limited resources it is near impossible to get to all the junctions around the city. So far it seems like it is working reasonably well… but we have not had any power outages recently, so we will have to cut the power at some stage to look at the implications.”