Breast Health

World Breastfeeding Week

This week from 1^st to 7^th August the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has been celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).  WBW is carried out in 170 different countries and this is the 19th year it is running.  This year's theme is “Talk to Me! Breastfeeding – a 3D experience”.

Spreading the Message

World Breastfeeding Week provides the opportunity to highlight the many health benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage everyone to support mothers who want to breastfeed.  This year however, WABA are determined to raise awareness outside of the health care sphere and encourage young people to get involved to help spread the message.

In association with the United Nation’s International Year of Youth, WABA commissioned a group of dedicated young people to partake in the United Nation’s call for action and help create awareness, mobilise and engage, connect and build bridges across generations, different cultures and religions.

In a press release, a spokesperson for WABA stated: “Youth account for about 18 percent of the world’s population and are therefore an invaluable sector to ally with in any public health movement” 

The “3D” theme is about looking at the dimensions of our lives and ensuring that communication is filtered throughout all channels so that it speaks to everyone. A young advocate from WABA YOUth stated that “as a young person I want to contribute to the global breastfeeding movement! Not only do I learn more about breastfeeding, but I need to make sure I talk to my friends and family when needed”.

Breastfeeding - The Statistics

Data published in the NHS The Information centre for health and social care, revealed that in 2005, 76 percent of mothers breastfed their babies compared with 69 percent in 1995.  Evidence shows that globally breastfeeding is on the rise, but more needs to be done to ensure that the correct health message reaches everyone and that support and information is offered to mothers to help them make choices. 

The Benefits

We are told that breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby, but let us now look at why this is the case?

Breast milk is considered to be rich in nutrients and antibodies which protects your baby from diseases and infections and also stimulates the baby's immune system. 

Studies have compared the health of children who were breastfed as babies and children who were given formula milk.  The results highlighted that breastfeeding substantially decreased the risk of illness and that the longer babies were breastfed, the greater the health benefits.  

The World Health Organisation and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety recommend breastfeeding with no other food or drink until around six months of age.    

The NHS Choices website advocates the many positive reasons why breastfeeding is good for baby, mother and society.  Aside from being the only natural food designed for babies, breast milk is available whenever, wherever and at the right temperature.  Let us not forget it is free! 

Benefits for baby

Less chance of:

1. Diarrhoea, upset tummy and gastroenteritis

2. Coughs and colds

3. Ear and chest infections

4. Urine infections

5. Allergies, asthma and eczema

6. Childhood diabetes and obesity in later life

It is also recognised that breastfeeding helps to strengthen the emotional and physical bond between mother and baby.

Benefits for Mother

Less Chance of:

1. Breast cancer

2. Ovarian cancer

3. Osteoporosis (Bone thinning)

Breastfeeding also helps mothers to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more easily, as it naturally uses 500 calories per day.

Society also benefits from breastfeeding, not only are babies healthier, but it means less demand on the health service.  Mothers are healthier, which means less time off work, saving employers money and making family life less stressful.  Lastly, breastfeeding is environmentally friendly because there is no pollution, manufacturing, packaging or waste involved!

For further information on breastfeeding, please click on the NHS Choices website

What are you views?

We are interested to hear your views on breastfeeding and open up a discussion. 

Do you feel you have gained any benefits from breastfeeding?
Have you encountered any difficulties breastfeeding? Have you felt pressure to breastfeed and been unsuccessful?  Has working life prevented you from breastfeeding?
Were you given the right information and support?

Rises in Cancer Rates: 17,000 more middle-aged people are diagnosed with cancer every year, compared to a generation ago

Yesterday's news articles reported the subsequent rises in cancer rates over the past two decades.  The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Sun, pointed out that cancer rates in the middle-aged have increased “by almost a fifth in a generation”.  The articles highlighted that the rise was mainly a result of better detection of cancer, but also the rise in obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) – The Findings

Figures from Cancer Research UK compared the rates of cancer in Great Britain in 1979 and 2008.  The statistics found that new cancer diagnoses increased by 16 percent in men and 34 percent in women in Great Britain between the 1977-1979 and 2006-2008 reporting periods.  This equated to a rise from 368.3 to 416.7 cases per 100,000 men and from 273.9 to 365.7 cases per 100,000 women.

The increases in cancer rates between 1979 and 2008 varied across age groups, however, the main focus was the rates of cancer in middle-aged individuals (40-59 years old) which saw new diagnoses rise from 329.1 per 100,000 in 1979 to 388.1 per 100,000 in 2008.  It was reported that in 1979 44,000 people in this age group were diagnosed with cancer in Britain and this figure rose to 61,000 in 2008.

The statistics revealed that among 40-59 year olds, prostate cancer rates have risen six fold in 30 years and breast cancer rates have increased by 50 percent.  In comparison, cases of lung cancer in men of this age have dropped from 6,300 to around 2,700 in the same period.  For a break down of all the cancer figures, please visit the Cancer Research UK website by clicking here.

Despite the upward trend, CRUK say that the number of people surviving cancer has almost doubled since the 1970s.  In 1979 in Great Britain there were 215.2 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people, which decreased to 174.4 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people in 2008. 

Why the Increase?  

Although the exact causes for the increases were not directly investigated, CRUK claim that the rises could be contributed to higher detection due to the NHS breast cancer screening programme and the PSA test for prostate cancer.  However, it has also been suggested that these rises are due to modern changes in lifestyle, with people eating more unhealthily and living a sedentary lifestyle, compared to people in the past decades.

Evidence demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors do influence risk of cancer and that smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol consumption can be hazardous for our health and may increase the possibility of cancer. 

Therefore, by taking responsibility for our health, by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, not smoking and reducing our alcohol consumption we can help to limit the risk of cancer.  For further information on cancer prevention, please visit the NHS Choices website by clicking here.

Make Friday Fruity

Fruity Friday, is a fundraising campaign launched by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK) to increase public awareness of the links between diet, nutrition and cancer prevention.  The annual event also aims to raise valuable funds for cancer research and education programmes of cancer prevention. 

Fruity Friday coincides with WCRF UK’s annual Cancer Prevention Week which is being held between 9^th and 15^th of May 2011.  The purpose of Cancer Prevention Week is to promote the message that cancer is a largely preventable disease.  It has been shown that around a third of the most common cancers could be prevented if people adopted healthy lifestyle choices, including eating healthily, being more physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. 

The Cancer Stats – Worldwide and UK

Data reports from Cancer Research UK shows that globally, an estimated 12.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2008.

An estimated 4.2 million men died from cancer worldwide in 2008. Lung cancer is by far the biggest killer, accounting for almost one in four (23%) cancer deaths in men.

Liver and stomach cancers are also big cancer killers in men worldwide (11% each).

Similarly around 3.3 million women died from cancer worldwide in 2008. Breast and lung cancers are the most common killers, accounting for 14% and 13% of deaths, respectively.

Evidence from the Latest UK Cancer Incidence Year and Mortality Year Summary shows that in the UK, 309,527 cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2008.  Of these cancer cases 155,326 were men and 154,201 were women.  In 2008 there were 156,594 cancer deaths, of which 81,403 were men and 74,829 were women.  The UK incidence rate is slightly higher than the average in the more developed regions of the world, and more than 75% higher than the average in the less developed regions.

Recommendations

Overall, scientists have estimated that about third (39%) of the 12 most common types of cancer cases in the UK could be prevented if people made healthier lifestyle choices. 

The evidence comes from WCRF The Expert Report which was published in 2007, having taken six years to produce, it is renowned as the most comprehensive report ever produced on the link between lifestyle and cancer risk.  The research outlined in the report was the basis used to develop the 10 recommendations for cancer prevention that people can incorporate into their daily lives.

Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses is one way to help prevent cancer.  Scientific research shows that these types of food may protect against cancer because they contain vitamins and minerals which help keep the body healthy and strengthen our immune system.  They are also good sources of substances like phytochemicals which are biologically active compounds that can help to protect cells in the body from damage that can lead to cancer. 

Further recommendations also include being physically active for at least thirty minutes a day, limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding smoking.  For a full list of the recommendations to help prevent cancer please click here. 

RSPH and Health Promotion – What You Can Do?

At RSPH Training Solutions we take health seriously and we believe that through education and training, people can learn to make better lifestyle choices and positively influence people around them.  We are currently running a 5 day Level 2 Award in Health Promotion programme, which has specifically been developed to meet the increasing needs of a wide range of individuals to acquire fundamental knowledge and skills in health promotion.  The Award provides candidates with an opportunity to work and train within a multi-disciplinary group, exploring and examining basic theory in relation to the concepts, influences and determinants of health.  For further information please contact Nicolette Boustaoui or by phone on: 0203 177 1625. 

Shish' of a Time? The Health Implications of Waterpipe Smoking

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease” Buddha

Smoking through a waterpipe, otherwise referred to as shisha, attracted attention in this weeks BBC health news: 'Shisha pipe smoking among young 'rising in Leicester'. The article expressed concern over the recent increase in Shisha users and once again challenged the misconception that Shisha smoking is safer than cigarettes. There is clearly a need for more to be done to get the health message across that smoking, in any form, is dangerous.

Over the past two decades tobacco smoking using waterpipes has become a massively popular and fashionable pastime among younger people. An activity normally shared with friends in homes, restaurants and cafes, shisha smoking has become socially accepted and widely regarded as a relaxing and an enjoyable experience. However, the rise in shisha smokers gives cause for concern because of the multiple associated health risks, of which people are either unaware or choose to ignore.  A report conducted in 2006 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) entitled, "Tobacco use in Shisha: Studies on waterpipe smoking in Egypt", claims that waterpipe smoking represents both a "modern renaissance of an old public health threat and the emergence of a new tobacco epidemic". 

Tobacco consumption has been linked to a high death rate worldwide (5 million deaths each year) and is considered to be the second major cause of death in the world that is completely preventable. With this statistic in mind, it raises the question; why do so many continue to smoke? 

The studies carried about by the WHO examining the effects of waterpipe smoking have all concluded that it is hazardous for our health. However, its growing popularity as a social, glamorous and harmless activity means much of the research has been overshadowed by people's misconceptions. Shisha smokers are thus left ill-informed and ignorant of the risks.

Dr Alan Shidaheh of the American University in Beirut says; "The historical lack of evidence has unfortunately allowed many Shisha users to believe that the practice was safe, or at least safer than other forms of tobacco use. We have recently learned otherwise.”

The History

The 2005 WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation "Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended Actions" found that shisha has been smoked by people in Africa and Asia for at least four centuries. It is believed that a waterpipe was invented in India by a physician named Hakim Abul Fath who suggested that tobacco would be rendered less harmful if smoke was passed through a small receptacle of water. Thus, this widespread and unsubstantiated belief held by shisha users today - that the practice is safe - is as old as the waterpipe itself. 

Since the 1990s waterpipe smoking has become increasingly popular and is no longer dominated by older males in Middle Eastern countries.  Shisha smoking appears to have spread to new populations such as college students and young persons in the United States, UK and other European countries. 

Health Awareness - Battling the misconception

Although waterpipe smoking has not been studied as intensively as cigarette smoking, the preliminary research claims that it is associated with many of the same risks as cigarettes, and may in fact involve unique health risks.

The evidence affirms that the smoke that emerges from a waterpipe contains numerous toxicants which are responsible for causing oral cavity cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis and respiratory diseases. 

Waterpipe smoking, compared to cigarettes, is characterised by less frequent exposure (one to four sessions per day) but with a much more intense exposure per session, which can typically vary between 15 and 90 minutes. The uptake of tobacco nicotine is equivalent to 2-12 cigarettes per portion of tobacco used (hagar) and one person usually smokes several hagar per session. This translates into a nicotine intake equivalent to more than one pack of cigarettes per session. However, the waterpipe produces more smoke than cigarette smoking and thus overall smoke exposure could be as much as 100-200 cigarettes per session.

In addition, the temperature of burning tobacco in waterpipes is much lower than that in cigarettes, and the force needed to pull air through the high resistance of the water pathway, causes the smoke to be inhaled very deeply into the lungs. This is likely to cause patterns of cell injury in the oral and respiratory tracts. Smoking has also been shown to cause an accelerated decline in lung function.    

While it has been noted that the water does absorb some of the nicotine, waterpipe smokers can be exposed to a sufficient dose of this drug to cause addiction. Nicotine level intake in a standard session is similar to a single cigarette, yet the tar intake is 20 times greater. It is likely that the reduced concentration of nicotine in waterpipe smoke may result in smokers inhaling higher amounts of smoke and thus exposing themselves to higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals, alongside higher levels of arsenic, chromium and lead, as well as hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide.   

Professor Mostafa Mohamed, Professor of Community Medicine in Cairo and author of the 2006 WHO report stated that, “Heat sources that are commonly used in Shisha pipes to burn the tobacco are likely to increase the health risks because when they burn they produce their own toxins".

The report also points out that waterpipe smokers are exposed to a large number of genotoxicants via ingestion, respiration or absorption through the skin. Tobacco has been linked to mutations in the p53 tumour suppressor gene which leads to uncontrolled cell division and is found in over 50% of all human tumours.   

The study found that people who were waterpipe smokers were significantly more prone to develop hypertension and have higher blood pressure than non-smokers. The report also identified that waterpipe smokers are prone to repeated infections due to lowered immunity, and the habit of sharing waterpipes heightened the chance of contracting communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. There was ample evidence which showed that people who smoked were more likely to experience sleep disturbance. Thus the perception that smoking will help them relax and elevate their mood is, in fact, incorrect. 

The report highlighted that although further research needs to be done, there is strong viable evidence that exposure to waterpipe smoking is as harmful as the exposure to cigarette smoking, if not more so. 

Professor Mohamed affirmed that "Waterpipe smoking is growing epidemic. Any intervention programme to prevent this new threat must disabuse the public notion that waterpipes are less risky than cigarettes."  

What can we do?  

Changing our behaviour and habits is hard. Many people are reluctant to give up something they enjoy, particularly if its a social activity with friends. Hence it is easier to ignore the facts and live for the "now" rather than thinking about the consequences of our actions or wrongfully assuming that "it won't happen to me". 

We have to remember that our health is paramount and making sensible choices now can prevent unnecessary suffering later. 

Both the studies by the WHO point out that despite the strong evidence of health risks associated with waterpipe smoking, there remains few published studies on its negative effects. This has created an ambivalent and misguided picture of Shisha smoking.  More needs to be done to ensure people are educated about the dangers so that its reputation as a harmless and glamorous pastime gets demoted to unfashionable and unsafe!   

  

Education of health professionals, regulators and the public at large is urgently needed to make information more available. The WHO researchers stressed, “Waterpipes should be subjected to the same regulations as cigarettes and other tobacco products and should contain health warnings". 

RSPH  

The Royal Society for Public Health offer a course on Understanding Health Improvement Level 2 designed to provide knowledge and understanding of the benefits of good health and well being, and of the barriers to making a change of lifestyle.  For further information please contact Gina Mohajer. 

       

World Cancer Day - 4 February 2011

Recommendations to help reduce the risk of cancer

This year World Cancer Day falls on Friday 4th February.  The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the disease and to help people take the right steps to prevent them from getting Cancer. 

The most up to date statistics on Cancer rates and deaths are available from GLOBOCAN 2008  published in June 2010.  According to GLOBOCAN around 12.7 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year and 7.6 million people die from the disease.  It has been estimated that if people do not take the necessary precautions to limit the risk of getting cancer, 26 million people could be diagnosed with the disease by 2030.  

However, figures taken from the official World Cancer Day website also shows that 20 to 30 percent of all cancers can be prevented and one third can be cured by early diagnosis and treatment.  Thus the aim of the one day event is to help people understand that by changing ones lifestyle they can prevent cancer and live a healthier and longer life.

Below are some of the recommended steps to help prevent cancer:

1. Drink less Alcohol
It is widely acknowledged that alcohol abuse has a major impact on public health. It is ranked as the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability in the world. 
Although the link between alcohol and cancer is still not completely understood, there is an association found between alcohol and mouth, oesophageal, laryngeal, pharyngeal, breast and liver cancers.  Therefore the more alcohol one consumes the higher risk of getting cancer.  
By drinking moderately and keeping within the Governments recommended guidelines can be key in preventing cancer.

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Eating healthily and doing regular exercise can be crucial in preventing cancer.
A report published by The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) called Food, Nutrition Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: is the most extensive and comprehensive literature on diet, physical activity and cancer currently available. 

The report which was developed by 21 leading scientists from around the world, put forward 10 recommendations for the prevention of cancer.  Some of these measures included the following:
- To be lean, but not underweight
- Limit consumption of energy dense foods (processed food, high in added sugar, and high in fat)
- Eat more fruit and vegetables
- Limit consumption of red meats (pork, lamb, beef)

3. Do More Exercise
Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveal that globally there are approximately 1.6 billion adults who are overweight and around 400 million who are clinically obese . It is expected that by 2015 these figures will have risen to 2.3 billion and > 700 million respectively. 
Undeniably, obesity has many health implications such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and it may account for 20-30 percent of several cancers.  As such, experts state that by preventing excessive weight gain by being more active physically, can reduce the risk of many cancers. 
It is recommended that people partake in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

4. Avoid Smoking
Statistics from the WHO shows that tobacco is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world.  It is responsible for killing 5 million a year - an average of one person every six seconds.  Smoking is responsible for a quarter of all cancer deaths, including, lung, mouth, throat cancers as well as, liver, pancreas, stomach, breast, bowel, kidney and bladder.
As such, studies continually demonstrate that by stopping tobacco use greatly reduces the risk of cancers and other short and long term health risks. 

Get Healthy!!

The Royal Society for Public health through Training Solutions run a Foundation Programme in Health Improvement.  This particular course offers candidates the opportunity of developing a firm foundation in health improvement while also making aware the health and lifestyle choices that affect personal and public health.  For more information click here or contact Nicolette Smith. 

British Women - Unhealthy Lifestyles Have Led to Higher Rates of Cancer!

Data from the World Health Organisation, found that Britain has higher rates of potential fatal disease than the USA, Australia, Germany and Spain.  The statistics reveal that British women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer because of their unhealthy lifestyles.  Cause for concern for?   

A project called GLOBOCAN, set up by the WHO, collects figures on the incidence of and deaths from the most common types of cancer for countries across the world.  The data which was used and analysed for a recent study by the World Cancer Research Fund, found that Britain is the 12th worst of the 50 countries in terms of rates of all cancers among women, and is rated 11th worst for breast cancer.  The figures show that although Belgium is the worse with 109.2 cases per 100,000 women in 2008 with breast cancer, Britain is not far behind with 89.1 cases per 100,000.  There are around 46,000 breast cancer cases per year in the UK, of which a quarter die.

Although high levels of breast cancer rates may be attributed to better detection methods such as new technological advancements and increased awareness, experts claim that lifestyle choices also plays a significant factor.
Meg McArthur, Senior Policy and Information Officer for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says that “Breast cancer is thought to be due to a combination of lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors and although some risk factors cannot be changed, women can reduce their risk by drinking less, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.”

Currently international studies demonstrates that Britons now eat and drink more than their counterparts in many other countries.  Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics shows that 56 percent of women over the age of 16 drinks more than double the recommended daily allowance of alcohol every week, while 24 per cent of women in England are classified obese.

Therefore, experts claim that the high number of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK could be avoided if women adopted healthier lifestyles, including drinking less alcohol, eating better and doing more exercise.
Sarah Woolnough, director of policy for Cancer Research UK said "We do know that up to half of all cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle such as giving up smoking, keeping a healthy weight and cutting down on alcohol"

The National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said "We want to vastly improve cancer outcomes - that’s why we will shortly be launching the first ever Government awareness campaign for cancer, to promote earlier diagnosis and to save more lives.”

Raise awareness for women's health! 
In aid of International Women’s Day this year, the Royal Society for Public Health will be running a programme on the 8^th March on "Women’s Health and Well-being".  The event will raise awareness of interrelationship between lifestyle and health, while educating participants about the steps they can take to empower women to improve their physical and mental health.  For further information or to attend the programme please contact Nicolette Smith or by phone 020 3177 1625.