Here’s another excellent article from the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). It was recently taken town from their site, but I had to keep it around as it is one of the few in-depth discussions on just how bad hot dogs truly are… enjoy.
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http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/anatomy-of-a-hot-dog
Schools should stop serving hot dogs and other processed meats because even small amounts increase the risk of adult cancer, says a provocative commercial airing on TV stations around the country. Produced by the Cancer Project, an affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Protect Our Kids” is a 30-second spot featuring three young children in an elementary school who describe their lives from the perspective of adults with cancer. The commercial invites the viewer to join the campaign to “get processed meats out of our schools.”
“Protect Our Kids” (watch the commercial on YouTube) is based on a comprehensive report released in 2007 by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund. After reviewing all existing data on nutrition and cancer risk, scientists concluded that processed meat increases one’s risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent for every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily. (A 50-gram serving is approximately the size of a typical hotdog.) The landmark report clearly states that no amount of processed meat is considered safe to eat; it should be completely avoided.
“Cancer risk starts early,” says Neal Barnard, M.D., president of the Cancer Project. “If we don’t protect our kids by removing hot dogs, sausages, and deli slices, and pepperoni from our schools, we’re stacking the cards against them. Lifetime cancer risk is already one in three for women and one in two for men. Given the terrible eating habits of so many American children, we’re setting them up for even worse odds down the road.”
As with tobacco, the cancer risk associated with processed meats seems to increase with long-term exposure, so processed meat consumption that begins in childhood poses a profound concern.
A 2008 Cancer Project survey of 29 U.S. school districts showed that many school menus are packed with processed meats. Every year, 160,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 50,000 die of it. About half of all cases are already incurable when found. Some of the school districts with the highest rates of processed meat are in states with the highest rates of colorectal cancer. Illinois, for example, has the third highest incidence in the country, and West Virginia the highest.
The Cancer Project is a collaborative effort of physicians, researchers, and nutritionists who have joined together to educate the public about the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. Based in Washington, D.C., the Cancer Project is an affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
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