Unhealthy lifestyle and living environment cause a third of cancer cases in the Netherlands. Smoking is the biggest cause, but unhealthy eating and inadequate sun protection also lead to many cases of cancer.
This is clear from new research conducted by TNO KWF Fight Cancer. According to the organization, 40,000 cancer cases can be prevented annually.
An estimated 19,095 people develop cancer each year due to smoking. Inadequate sun protection leads to 6,374 diagnoses. Another 6,452 people develop cancer due to unhealthy eating. Consider eating very few vegetables, fruits, and dietary fiber. Eating too much processed meat is also unhealthy.
Other important risk factors include particulate matter. These account for an estimated 2,548 cancer diagnoses annually, which is about 2 percent of the total. The last time researchers estimated the impact of all these risk factors on the number of cancer diagnoses was in 2014.
“This study shows that we have an impact on a third of all cancers,” Carla van Gils, director of KWF, said in a statement. “Big part.” KWF believes that preventive measures should be taken so that people smoke less and eat unhealthy foods.
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