Vegetarians Safe From Cancer?

By Marcie Barnes

I was listening to a report on my local news station tonight titled "Obesity, body fat linked to cancer", I was happy to hear a local dietitian (Patty Cepull, registered dietitian Rex Cancer Center) quoted as saying "I don't think I've ever had a person that was a vegetarian come in with cancer". That's a pretty profound statement. My diet has always leaned in the vegetarian direction, and quite frankly, the more research I do, the more I lean.

Processed meats, which I wrote about briefly here, are singled out as foods to avoid in the report. Interestingly, the CBS News report headline reads: "Obesity Nears Smoking As Cause Of Cancer" - I've been saying this since the tobacco advertising ban in the 90s: If they are going to ban Joe Camel, they should ban Ronald McDonald. In related news, Nickelodeon seems to be making an effort to align themselves with advertisers who are trying to improve the state of our childrens' diets. I am very careful about the advertising my child is exposed to. When we were buying Halloween candy this weekend, my son pointed at the bag and said "what's that?" I was proud.

Basically, we've become a nation that has fallen victim to the power of large corporations and their marketing dollars. We, for the most part, eat what they tell us to. Sure, everyone makes their own choices, but the healthy choices have become fewer and further between. And children really aren't educated enough to make good choices, they need our help most.

Feed your kids a healthy dinner tonight (and every night) and go easy on the candy. Teach them a healthy way of eating and help them live a long, happy life. Oh, and do the same for yourself! For information on feeding a vegetarian menu to your kid(s) - see here, and for some awesome vegan lunchbox recipes, check out the Vegan Lunchbox!