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83 percent of patients favor hospitals banning processed meat to ‘reduce cancer risk’.
The data come from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) who surveyed 200 patients in two Washington D.C hospitals.
It also found that 69 percent of patients feel it is ‘not important’ that hospitals offer bacon or sausage.
‘A healthier food environment’
Dr. Neal Barnard is the President of PCRM. He said: “Now it’s clear that patients overwhelmingly agree that they’d like to see healthy food on their hospital trays.
“It’s not uncommon for patients to wake up from surgery to be greeted with bacon and sausage. [These are] the very foods that may have contributed to their health problems in the first place. It’s time to create a healthier food environment.”
Hospitals banning processed meat
A bill requiring hospitals ‘to serve healthy foods and beverages to patients, staff, and visitors’ was introduced last year.
The Healthy Hospitals Amendment Act states: “The foods shall include a variety of healthy foods. This includes vegetarian and 100 percent plant-based meals, and meals that are low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.”
If passed, it would become the first U.S bill to call for the removal of processed meats from hospitals.
Does red meat cause cancer?
The World Health Organization says processed meat is a major contributor to colorectal cancer. It classifies it as ‘carcinogenic to humans’.
WHO also warns that as little as two strips of bacon increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. Moreover, PCRM says processed meat is ‘linked to stomach, pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancers’. As well as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
You can read the full report here
