Are hot dogs a political issue? Surprisingly so.
On Monday July 25, my non-profit organization, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, erected a billboard outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The picture was stark -- a cigarette pack emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. But sticking out of the pack were not cigarettes -- instead there were hot dogs. The message said "WARNING: Hot dogs can wreck your health."
The issue is cancer. Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease. About half of all cases are already incurable when found. The U.S. Government and other entities have poured millions of dollars into the search for the cause. But one of the causes they found turned out to be too hot for the government to handle.
It's the ordinary hot dog. At least 58 scientific studies have looked at the issue, and the jury has rendered its verdict, which is now beyond reasonable doubt. The more hot dogs people eat, the higher their risk of colorectal cancer. And it's not just hot dogs. Any sort of processed meat -- bacon, sausage, ham, deli slices -- is in this group. And here are the numbers: Every 50 grams of processed meat you eat on a daily basis (that's about one hot dog) increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent. And just as there is no safe level of smoking, no amount of hot dogs, bacon, sausage, ham or other processed meats comes out clean in scientific studies.
The problem goes beyond colorectal cancer. An NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study found a 10 percent increased risk of prostate cancer for every 10 grams of increased intake of processed meats. Other studies have linked these same products to leukemia and ovarian cancer. Exactly how processed meats do their dirty work is not clear; it could be their nitrites, saturated fat or other ingredients.
But here's where politics come in: Even though much of this research was paid for by the U.S. government, the government also subsidizes meat. It supports feed grains to fatten cows and pigs, buys up meats for the school lunch program and helps the meat industry in countless other ways. So I think that the last thing the government wants to do is to publicize the cancer risk of one of its favorite products. I believe that this is why there are no government billboards, radio ads or television spots to warn anyone about this easily preventable cause.
At a ballgame, if you're thinking about buying your daughter a hot dog, there are no notices, no warning labels on the food product, no nothing. Meat industry lobbyists have made sure that your government won't breathe a word.
The fact is, hot dogs are not fun, cute or "All-American." If you are not convinced, just ask to see how one is made.
When good research finds a potentially fatal risk to Americans -- one as close as our refrigerators and as dear to us as our children -- the government needs to let Americans know.
And when it does not, we will.
Dr. Nalini Chilkov: What Causes Cancer? Genetics & Environment: The Perfect Storm
Dr. Nalini Chilkov: Cancer Risk Factors: 10 Things Women Should Keep in Mind
Dr. Joseph Mercola: When Meat Contains Cancer-Causing Toxins
Brianne DiSylvester: Dangers of Dog Food and the Benefits of Organic Treats
Hot Dogs May Cause Cancer, Genetic Mutations - Science News ...
Group Claims Hot Dogs Cause Cancer
Hot dogs should carry a warning label, lawsuit says - Los Angeles ...
PCRM | Enough is Enough: Processed Meat-Cancer Link Confirmed
Study: Red and Processed Meats Linked With Colon Cancer Risk ...
Cut red meat intake and don't eat ham, say cancer researchers ...
You know like the song -Doctors says it'll kill me but he don't say when.
The problem is that modern cured meats like hot dogs and "city" ham are very high in moisture. Traditionally, salting was used in combination with some amount of drying, which makes the meat much more inhospitable to microorganisms. Moist, low-acid proteins are difficult to preserve.
Third world countries don't have the cancer rates we do, which should make you realize why "everything gives you cancer".
Its cause we continue to screw with the organic world to fit our man-made one...We take the most ignorant approach to life in the western world and I think cancer is simply the results of our actions as westernized people.
To me Cancer is simply natural selection, or evolution telling us we are doing it all wrong.
In my observation, the closer one is to nature, the less likely they are to get these evolutionary diseases.. like cancer.
Seriously, take it all the way to clothes.. skin cancer... the sun's fault? .. or our fault for wearing clothes for the last 10,000 years so now our skin cannot handle the sun's rays?. We never learned to adapt, we simply avoided.
Other animals that aren't "robed" don't seem to have the skin cancer problem we do. We really are turning into a species that cannot adapt because of how much un-natural BS we put on ourselves.
Need to eat, cool, let's build regional food processing plants instead of local community gardens and farms.
If you want a sandwich why are all the choices nitrate laden meats?
I can't say that processed meat gives you cancer, but not so long ago, I saw this completely sick video, it has something to do with " Meat Glue" and how to watch out for meat that is glued together and sold much cheaper ( which I am sure they also use in all the processed meats to keep them from falling apart ). The process of it being done, was very disturbing for me.
Just think about this, If you are eating chemicals every day, several times a day, what do you think it is doing to your liver? Or to your other organs? It's kind of common sense isn't it?
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