‘Time for a new obesity strategy’

Healthcare: Plea to government from campaigners sparked by ‘worrying’ cancer rise

Ministers are being urged to develop a new obesity strategy to curb the “barrage” of supermarket deals on junk food after new figures showed a “worrying” rise in the number of Scots being diagnosed with cancer.

Campaigners at Cancer Research UK made the plea after NHS figures showed 31,467 people were diagnosed with some form of the disease in 2015, compared to 27,494 people 10 years before.

Overall, lung cancer remains the most common form, with 4,997 Scots – 2,531 men and 2,466 women – diagnosed with the disease in 2015.

While cases in males have fallen by 15.5% over a decade, there has been a 6.8% increase in lung cancer in women over the period.

The figures also showed a 21.5% increase in cases of skin cancer over the last decade to 1,363 – with the number of men suffering from the disease up by a third (33.1%) compared to a 9.9% rise for females.

Cases of cancer of the uterus, including endometrial cancer, in women were 32.1% higher in 2015 than a decade ago, with this possibly linked to women having fewer babies, as childbearing is thought to protect against endometrial cancer, and rising levels of obesity.

Kidney cancer diagnoses were up 25% over the decade up to 2015 and while the reason for this was unclear, obesity and smoking are both risk factors.

Being overweight later in life and drinking too much are risk factors for breast cancer, which remains the most common cancer in women, with 4,738 diagnoses in 2015 – an increase of 5.7% over the past 10 years. This rise may also be partly down to increased detection rates as a result of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme.

Prostate cancer was the most common form of the disease among men, with 3,091 diagnoses in 2015.

Experts estimate two in five people in Scotland will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.

Gregor McNie, Cancer Research UK’s senior public affairs manager in Scotland, said: “It is worrying that the number of people in Scotland being diagnosed with cancer is increasing, especially as much more can be done to stem the rising tide. More than four in 10 cancers in the UK are preventable.

“For non-smokers, being overweight and obese are the biggest preventable causes and are linked to 13 types of cancer, including some of those most common in Scotland, such as breast, bowel and kidney.

“This is why the Scottish Government can and must do more by introducing a new obesity strategy which includes tackling the barrage of supermarket multibuy offers on junk food.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “Last year we launched our £100million Cancer Strategy which aims to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affected by the disease.

“We know that smoking, poor diet, low physical activity, obesity and excess alcohol consumption all increase a person’s risk of getting cancer.

“That’s why the Scottish Government is implementing a wide-ranging programme of action to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.”

STEP IN: Campaigners want the government to clamp down on multibuy offers on junk food in supermarkets