Miami (AFP) – “Rates of colon and rectal cancer are rising sharply among young and middle-aged adults in the United States but doctors have yet to pinpoint why, researchers said Tuesday.” The report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that Generation X and millennials face anywhere from twice to four times the risk of colon and rectal cancer as their baby boomer counterparts.
“The study did not uncover a reason for the change.”
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I am a patient person with a good bedside manner. I believe in being open minded and diplomatic when discussing disease and dysfunction. After reading this report, however, I am absolutely OUTRAGED!
Since there is clear evidence explaining the rise of this disease, the journal’s primary recommendation on how to combat it is just plain STUPID! The medical field is considering lowering the ages of colon cancer screenings from 50 years of age to 40 years of age. Is it coincidence their PRIMARY “health care” recommendations always seem to improve their REVENUE STREAM? Wouldn’t diagnostic and treatment procedures (in this case) simply CONFIRM and ADDRESS conditions that ALREADY EXIST?
Why would their FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE be diagnostics to FIND cancer rather than aggressively promoting and supporting
LIFESTYLE PATTERNS PROVEN to reduce the risk of getting colon and other cancers
IN THE FIRST PLACE?
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Their recommendation wouldn’t reduce the chances of cancer AT ALL. It would simply identify it (generating revenue) and treat it (creating a secondary source of revenue.) I’m sure they would argue it would likely lower the mortality rate. LIFESTYLE CHANGES would DRAMATICALLY lower the mortality rate while SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the chances of developing cancer
without the COSTS of diagnostic procedures and treatments!
.
The only way a study like this could have reached an “UNKNOWN CONCLUSION” is if the doctor’s heads were so far up their patients COLONS, they were unable (due to the darkness) to see COMMON SENSE!
Look at Generation “X” and Millennial lifestyle patterns compared to older generations.
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They are more sedentary as a result of technology.
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They are less prone to regular exercise.
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Their eating habits are generally less healthy as a result of increased unhealthy food choices and a lack of real concern about the dangers these foods cause.
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They typically substitute essential water with unhealthy energy drinks, sodas coffee and sweet teas.
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They do not consider the relevance of healthy stress outlets.
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They have higher rates of job dissatisfaction resulting in “job hopping” and increased risks of unemployment.
This unhealthy lifestyle has resulted in increased rates of diabetes and obesity which has already been acknowledged. Cancer (be it colon or any other form) is simply the manifestation of a disease where the body’s defenses become overwhelmed. This is commonly the result of neglecting one’s essential physical, mental and emotional needs. These younger generations haven’t been properly taught how to MAINTAIN HEALTH and, to a large extent, haven’t had GOOD role models as parents when it comes to healthy living.
“The study did not uncover a reason for the change in increased rates of colon cancer in Gen. “X” and the Millennials.”
I just provided 6 GOOD REASONS. This doesn’t even take into account their damaging synergistic effects. I don’t care if double blind studies confirm my explanation or not. I do know that UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLES, in general, lead to UNHEALTHY OUTCOMES. Do we really need research to confirm the need to CHANGE UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS or can we rely on basic COMMON SENSE and EXPERIENCE to reduce this increased rate of cancer in our younger generations? If the medical field wishes to do colon screenings at a younger age, doesn’t it make sense the results would find FEWER CANCERS if these younger adults began living the LIFESTYLES necessary to produce healthier results?
I have a great deal of patience, respect and love for people. I have no patience or respect for STUPIDITY and IGNORANCE exemplified by this article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THESE DOCTORS TO SEE THE TRUTH? DO THEY REALLY BELIEVE IT IS BETTER TO TREAT DISEASE THAN PREVENT IT?
WILL IT REALLY REQUIRE YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO DIE EARLY IN LIFE AS A RESULT OF REFUSING TO CORRECT DAMAGING LIFESTYLE CHOICES?
WHAT DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG ARE WE WAITING ON THAT IDENTIFIES AND TREATS STUPIDITY?
All About Healthy Choices 
Oops: Prevention is better than cure don’t seem to mean anything to the ‘establishment’… And oh that ‘crap’ of health is wealth? Em yes if we look at it like more screwed up health means more consultations and diagnosis and prescriptions and more screw ups. So yea it’s better to reduce the age for diagnosing… If you don’t like that, look up after your own Colon then. Thanks doc for throwing light o. All this
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If people are willing to be a little more critical in thinking and a little less PASSIVE in accepting authoritarian rhetoric, they will stand a much better chance to improve their health and quality of life.
Thank you so much for adding your valued opinion to this article.
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And just a personal thought, since we don’t have universal coverage or some of the social aids and benefits or insurance you have out there, we dread falling sick. I personally do cause I’ll bear all the cost if I do… Therefore trying to live healthy is a priority. We also have alternative treatment if the inevitable happens, pill popping is ‘not so cool’ here and we are weary of their side effects. I really do appreciate your posts cause they open up my mind to different realities and possibilities
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Sometimes I question the benefits of health insurance coverage. It can “cripple” the mind into believing that impaired health is the responsibility of the insurance companies instead of the INDIVIDUAL. It removes CONTROL from patient and places it in the doctor’s and insurance company’s hands. It jeopardizes the potential quality of life the patient may ultimately live.
Whether it’s FEAR (and I love your acronyms for fear) or personal commitment, you express value in your health and the alternative treatments available should they become necessary. With nearly 70% of our population overweight or obese, we have lost sight of our relevance and SELF VALUE and accepted a reduced state of health and quality of life. Our sustenance is no longer centered around quality nutrition. We have chosen to surrender this ESSENTIAL NEED and replaced it with prescriptive medications and processed nutrient deficient foods.
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And sadly maybe to top it, that junk food found by some to be cool or fastly available, is so cheap I find. I found the prices out there so alluring, at least here they aren’t that cheap, still considered expats food or for the ‘cool’. It’s so sad…awareness is so lacking either deliberately or conspiratorially.
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“CHEAP” is an interesting concept when it comes to fast food. How “cheap” is it if it causes cardiovascular disease, strokes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc…? How “cheap” is a product that destroys one’s health and quality of life? When most of us think in terms of “cheap” we think of financial cost. We must open our eyes and view the BIG PICTURE to determine if something is REALLY cheap. Self destructive behavior is NEVER CHEAP. There is a HUGE price to pay for this lifestyle in most cases.
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No one wants to work for better health. They want the easy way out. They want that “magic pill” cure everything. But what they really don’t get is that “magic pill” will cause more problems. If they will get their noses out of FB and the other bs out there they might be able to fight all the ills.
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It starts by understanding the IMPACT an unhealthy lifestyle has on one’s healhth. The average consumer doesn’t believe their choices in life (sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating, high stress, etc…) result in disease and dysfunction. They believe (for example) disease is the result of exposure to germs; not the result of a weakened immune system caused by nutritional deficiencies and toxic overload.
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Very very salient points. I think the reason for a number of these instances of dysfunction that you mention are largely due to inertia. Most people aren’t thinking critically, but just functioning on auto-pilot according to pre-existing standards which you correctly point out as being flawed. Also, I would suggest that we individuals should take our power back. If we all ate better, exercised more, engaged in meditation, drank more water etc, it wouldn’t even matter what ridiculous guidelines the governing bodies were setting because we just wouldn’t need them. Thanks for sharing Jonathan… the world needs to see/hear things like this for us to move forward healthily.
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Thank you for sharing your point of view. The concept you discuss regarding the “regaining of power” is best achieved by educating the children early in life. It is similar to learning a foreign language. Begin the process as an adult and the task seems monumental. Begin the process early in verbal speech development and the task becomes significantly easier. This same concept applies to HEALTHY LIVING.
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Yup… agreed.
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*Shaking my head*
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My response was more verbal (and I’m a pretty mild mannered person.) People are NOT stupid. They are, however, often complacent. They would rather avoid TRUTHS than spend the effort and time required to deal with them. The goal is to help them overcome these limitations by sharing more and more of these “uncomfortable” TRUTHS until their “tipping point” (DENIAL) can no longer be ignored. It’s a slow process that requires a lot of persistence and patience.
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Basic psychology of all of this is that until it’s more uncomfortable NOT to deal with it, then they won’t.
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This goes back to the two motivating words in the English language, PAIN and PLEASURE. These two words have the greatest influence on changing behavior. Both are capable of creating positive changes. Why so many CHOOSE to experience PAIN as the primary motivator (between these two words) continues to baffle me.
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What are the main symptoms of colon cancer? Is it anyway linked to parasites?
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Often there are no symptoms. Sometimes there is blood present in the stool. There can also be changes in bowel habits and stool consistency. This may or may not accompany abdominal pain.
If a person has a weakened immune system and is then subjected to parasite exposure, it is possible that cancer can develop. This is not a typical or common finding in developed countries.
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These statistics are truly alarming. I have to children in their late twenties, and have a genuine concern for their long term health. They have MBA’s and high stress jobs that don’t make them happy. Although they workout, their food choices aren’t the greatest because they say they don’t have the energy to cook healthy even though they try. Challenging situation 🤔
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It really comes down to how much impact the TRUTH has on younger generations regarding today’s food choices. Once a young person is diagnosed with cancer, it’s amazing the “energy they find” to prepare healthy meals. The SOLUTION becomes most practical if started while children are very young. It becomes a “way of life” that’s natural and easier to maintain. There is a learning curve if the process is started in young adulthood.
I would encourage you to ask your children to write down on paper the ACTIVE steps they take to reduce the chances of disease as well as the lifestyle behaviors that support ill health. Often these lists create a sense of REALITY that help incentivize a change in ATTITUDE and BEHAVIOR.
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I’m so glad you posted on this Jonathan as I just caught a brief clip on the news about it last night that made my head spin but I didn’t have time to research the story.
It is truly insane to me as well that the response is to lower the screening from age 50 to 40. How does that help anyone in their 20s and 30s who are the ones experiencing the cancer gains? Plu,s like you said it does nothing to address the root cause. they may not know exactly what that cause is but certainly some of it involves lifestyle choices.
I agree, this is truly maddening
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At least you recognized that something didn’t “click” when you heard the story on the news. My goal is to help more people understand the need for critical thinking over passive acceptance. You don’t have to be a doctor or research professional to question the validity of many medical stories. But, you can’t dismiss questionable conclusions simply because authoritative rhetoric says to do so. (Not when the quality of your life can potentially depend on it.)
Watch how quickly this story fades away. The medical field benefits either way. Ignore the story and treat higher rates of younger generation cancers or implement younger age screenings and generate revenue from this approach. Sadly the BIG PICTURE in this story has nothing to do with implementing healthy strategies that PREVENT or at least reduce the risk of DEVELOPING CANCER.
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6 Years ago I was diagnosed with high stage 3 Colon Cancer, I was never once told to cut out rare red meat or drasticly limit my sugar intake. I was a red meat- aholic, i remember bowls of candy at the oncologist office.Refined Sugar FEEDS cancer cells and rare beef causes Colon cancer according to studies. I remember reading in the Old Testament “don’t eat meat with the blood”. I thought that just “Old” testament, I’ve changed my theology and eating habits, no red meat for 6 years now. I had half my colon removed,and was scheduled for 8 Chemo treatments over 6 months, only did 2 treaments, quit and went on faith and natural path, also started educating myself on Cancer and the history of American medicine, what an eye opener. Dr. Jonathan has covered both of these topics in previous blogs.
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Thank you for sharing your story, Frank. People need to understand their are more OPTIONS in life than is often presented by doctors.
People also need to change their mindset. If a person chose a natural approach to restoring health to their body and failed, the masses would believe this individual was FOOLISH for not using traditional western medicine as the “real answer.” If a person chose traditional western medicine and failed, the masses believe death was “meant to be.”
This view significantly over legitimizes western medicine and grossly undervalues credible quality treatments that can be ever more effective at MAINTAINING QUALITY LIVING during care. Both can achieve the extension of life. One must ask, however, are we seeking more time to EXIST (even if quality is sacrificed) or more time to LIVE (the lives we CHOOSE to live?)
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This is a very powerful post ! Awareness is crucial.
For me the bottom line it to live a healthy lifestyle ….I still feel if a good healthy lifestyle is incorporated at a young age and followed through, a lot of these diseases will not be so ‘out there’. Thanks Jonathan 🙂
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I agree with you completely. This brings me back to my basic belief showing the need for greater health education participation from Kindergarten through high school to create positive change. This education would include parental responsibilities to reinforce this new essential understanding.
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I saw this article this week and immediately thought of you – I’m so glad to see this post from you.
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Glad to know people think about me when reading stories on rectums and intestines. 😀 (I’m only kidding!) In all honesty, I’m flattered when people associate “health” and “quality living” with me in any way.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
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Don’t worry, I also think of you for worse ailments! 😉
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The irony is that people are looking for health advice online but increased screen-time is actually a risk factor for all the concerns you just mentioned (especially in young people). I routinely challenge people to power down their devices for at least one hour a day. That’s just enough time to do something active your body will thank you for all day!
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You bring up an excellent point. A large part of Life (and often happiness) comes down to TIME MANAGEMENT. If more people thought in these terms and were willing to apply themselves, we would likely see improved improve health AND quality living.
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Retweeted, thanks for exposing what we need to know.
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Thank you again for caring enough to pass on this message. You are so appreciated!
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My childhood friend’s mom died of colon cancer; a black woman. I want all communities to be on alert. THANK YOU.
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First, I am sorry for the loss of your friend’s mother. Events like this can dramatically affect our lives and how we live.
SOLUTIONS, however, start with each of us pulling our heads out of the sand and facing reality. Life isn’t always about fun “things.” It’s about achieving a healthy BALANCE to be able to live the lives we CHOOSE to live. It takes ACTIVE involvement and the willingness to LEARN about responsibilities we must undertake to achieve healthy outcomes (in most cases.)
This is the purpose of my blog site. I share information most people have never seen or heard. I provide this information as well as ideas for SOLUTIONS to help those without resources or awareness. I leave it up to the individual to decide for THEMSELVES if my information “makes sense” and is worth pursuing. I am willing to share ideas, to guide people asking for guidance, but I will NEVER tell people how to LIVE their lives.
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