by A North Carolina doctor comments on the rise in cancer among young people, revealing that “every new patient” who comes to his clinic is under 45 years old.
Oncologist Dr. Nicholas DeVito of Duke University says he and his colleagues have experienced a complete demographic shift in recent years, which he The blame lies with highly processed foods (UPFs).
Nearly 75 percent of the food consumed in the United States is considered highly processed and is full of additives and harmful ingredients.
And these products are subject to virtually no regulations, even though numerous studies have shown a link between a diet high in UPF and more than 30 diseases, including cancer.
The graph above shows the change in early-stage cancer rates worldwide, broken down by women (pink) and men (blue).
Dr. DeVito called on representatives from all industries and parties to do more to protect Americans from these harmful products.
The doctor wrote for STAT News: “The desire to protect Americans from substances that cause cancer and other diseases should transcend party affiliation and political motivation to overcome industry lobbying efforts.”
“This was possible with tobacco and it is possible with food.”
He added: “This will, of course, require Americans to make different choices about their diet, prioritizing their health over corporate profits and sometimes even their own convenience.”
Early studies have shown that UPFs – foods that have undergone multiple processing stages and have artificial ingredients added – can alter the gut microbiome – a collection of healthy bacteria – damaging the intestinal walls and causing chronic inflammatory diseases, all of which can increase the risk of cancer.
Between 1990 and 2019, cancer cases among young people worldwide increased by 79 percent and deaths by 28 percent.
The United States has the sixth highest rate of early-stage cancer—diseases in people under 50—at 87 cases per 100,000 people under 50.
Studies predict that early-stage cancer diagnoses will increase by 31 percent and deaths by 21 percent by 2030.
The fastest-growing cancers include throat cancer and prostate cancer. Cancers with early onset and the highest mortality include breast cancer, tracheal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer.
But according to a study by the American Cancer Society, 40 percent of cancer cases in the United States are caused by risk factors that can be changed – and by improving lifestyle, cancer could be prevented.
These factors include alcohol consumption, smoking, inactivity and taking UPFs.
Although it has long been known that an unhealthy diet high in fat and sugar is harmful to health, experts are calling for more attention to be paid not only to nutritional information but also to ingredient lists.
When analyzing this data, it turns out that many of the “healthy” foods that people eat are full of artificial ingredients and therefore qualify as highly processed foods.
To avoid this, the rule of thumb is to stick to products with fewer than five ingredients and avoid items with difficult to pronounce ingredients.
A 2023 study The journal Clinical Nutrition found a “consistent significant association between UPF intake and the risk of all and several cancers,” including colon, breast and pancreatic cancer.
A separate meta-analysis also found that diets high in UPF are associated with more than 30 health conditions, including colon, rectal and pancreatic cancer, obesity, which increases cancer risk, and heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. DeVito, who treats patients with gastrointestinal cancers such as colon and stomach cancer – two cancers with the highest mortality rates – said diet can play “an important role” in prevention – a Relevant fact given Almost 75 percent of the food consumed in the United States is considered highly processed.
The oncologist wrote: “Diet can play a big role here. Knowledge of ingredients, the American food system and the effects of diet on the body is crucial to reducing cancer rates.”
He compared UPFs to tobacco, which became widespread about a century ago and was not regulated until 2009. After the boom, lung cancer rates began to rise until about the 1990s.
Above you can see the most common types of cancer in each country
While the FDA is now allowed to regulate the tobacco industry, this authority does not exist for highly processed foods in the USA. In Europe, however, stricter guidelines and more extensive testing apply.
This lack of regulation has led to a sharp increase in UPFs on the market and an increase in their consumption.
However, Dr. DeVito believes that, as with tobacco, “collective efforts by healthcare providers, public health experts, governments and other organizations” could have a significant impact on the UPF market and reduce cancer deaths.
He writes: “Local and state governments have a responsibility to work to eliminate food deserts by providing more affordable and healthier alternatives to fast food and highly processed foods in every zip code.”
He called on the federal government to pressure the FDA to tighten controls on food processing and the additives it contains, while also addressing the variety and availability of healthier alternatives.
He recommended that doctors discuss UPF consumption with their patients and advise them to avoid the products. He also suggested that grocery stores label UPF products and separate them from healthy foods.
Dr. DeVito wrote, “I hope to have a long career in oncology and would like to practice at a time when the United States has turned the tide against early-onset gastrointestinal cancers and few, if any, of my patients are under 50 years of age.”
