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''I love my healthy active childhood''
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Overview
On World Cancer Day, the International Union Against Cancer
(UICC) launched “I love my healthy active childhood”, the
second full-year theme in our “Today’s children, tomorrow’s
world” cancer prevention campaign.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising
dramatically among adults and children around the world.
According to the World Health Organization, 1 billion adults
are overweight, and at least 300 million of these are
clinically obese.
The International Obesity Taskforce estimates that one out
of every ten school-age children is overweight. Of these,
around 30-45 million children, that is 2-3% of children aged
5-17, are obese.
Being overweight or obese has been shown to increase the
risk of cancer among adults.
UICC aims to raise awareness of the link between overweight,
obesity and cancer.
Because healthy habits start early, the campaign calls on
families, health professionals, educators and policymakers
to help children eat a healthy diet and be physically
active, so that they can maintain a healthy body weight –
setting them on the right path to reduce their risk of
cancer later in life.
World Cancer Day 2009 marked the start of a year-long
campaign, where UICC is working with parents, teachers and
decision-makers around the world to encourage kids to eat a
healthy diet, be physically active and maintain a healthy
body weight |
"I
love my smoke-free childhood" overview
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Around 700
million children - almost half of the world's children -
breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly at
home.* On 4TH February 2008, World Cancer Day directed a
simple message to parents:
"Second-hand smoke is a health hazard for you and your
family. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand
smoke. Give your child a smoke-free childhood."
Highlights of the campaign to date:
World Cancer Day 2008 generated media coverage all over the
world. UICC member organizations conducted events and
A comprehensive toolkit, including fact sheets, posters and
an expert report, was produced
A competition was held to design a universal symbol for
smoke-free environments for children. The winners were
announced at the UICC World Cancer Congress in Geneva in
August 2008.
Individuals and organizations around the world endorsed the
campaign statement:
“All children are entitled to a safe smoke-free environment
in which to live and play. The governments and peoples of
the world should take all steps necessary to ensure this
right.” |
Today's Children, Tomorrow's World
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Many people
around the world believe that cancer is fate - just
something that happens to them if they are unlucky. They
believe that they have no control over their chances of
developing a cancer.
In fact, more than one-third of all cancer cases worldwide -
almost four million cases each year - can be prevented if we
act on what we already know and apply that knowledge in our
daily behaviour.
Simple changes in lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancer.
Tobacco use, diet, nutrition and exercise, and sun safety
all play a role in influencing cancer risk. It is also
possible to vaccinate children or young people against
common viruses that cause specific cancers (liver and
cervix).
The aim of the "Today's children, tomorrow's world" campaign
is to scale up awareness of what we can do to prevent cancer
and to change people's behaviour in that light.
Healthy habits established early in life have a significant
impact in later years. Behaviour is already formed before
adolescence. The environment in which children grow up - at
home, in school, and in the community - powerfully
influences their behaviour later on, whether this regards
tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke, diet and
physical activity, or smart behaviour in the sun.
Policymakers' decisions about cancer vaccination at an early
age determine how far children and young people will be
protected against cancers of the liver or cervix.
For all these reasons, the "Today's children, tomorrow's
world" campaign will focus on the young.
Parents have a key role in influencing healthy habits in
their children. We need to help parents to understand the
long-terms benefits of a healthy lifestyle and to engage
them as partners in cancer prevention activities that start
early in life.
From a prevention perspective, there is strong justification
for focusing the campaign on what can be done to tackle four
main cancer-causing factors: (1) avoid tobacco and
second-hand smoke, (2) avoid obesity, be physically active,
and adopt healthy diets, (3) learn the facts about viruses,
infections and new vaccinations, and (4) be smart in the
sun. [1]
The campaign message
globally consists of four key precepts:
- provide a smokefree
environment for children ("no smoking in homes")
- encourage an
energy-balanced lifestyle (regular physical activity and
low-fat diet, avoid obesity)
- learn
the facts about vaccinations (HBV & HPV)
- teach your children to
be sun-smart
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“INVESTING IN HEALTH, RESULT IS WELLBEING”
WHY do we participate in campaign? Number of diseased is
constantly increasing. Every 3rd man and every 4th woman is in
risk or suffering of malign disease. Most common form in men is
lung, colon and prostate cancer, and in woman is breast and
cervix cancer. If illness is spotted early, it can be treated
and cured. Otherwise, prognosis is not good.
GOAL of campaign is to EDUCATE population, so they can recognize
symptoms and signs of illness, to teach them that every change
in their body deserves attention, and that they should ask
consulting from their physician. PREVENTION is informing
population with risks. EARLY DIAGNOSIS is important for
recognizing groups in risk and their examination, before
symptoms are developed.
HOW is campaign conducted? Professional members of Society for
fight against cancer (health employees, economists,
psychologists, social workers) conduct project “ZDRAVKA”
(Healthy woman) and project “MREZA” (Network). Activists lecture
and examine population in schools, community centers and
workplaces. During year 2003 and 2004 2740 inhabitants
participated from our commune. In 25% further examination was
needed, 1.5% were operated, and 1 % was diagnosed with malign
disease.
WHEN is campaign conducted? Only if this kind of action is
continual, we can influence in decrease of risks, teach
population to restore health while they are healthy. Only
continual education about health food, ecology, risks of
smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, can create healthy population.
Society for fight against cancer in Sombor has 12 – 15 this kind
of actions per month. During 2003 there were 117 different
actions. For contemporary, successful work we need NOTE BOOK
computer, VIDEO PROJECTOR and photo camera. By organizing
professional meetings, we gather financial resources for this
equipment from pharmaceutics firms. For provision other
equipment we need donations. In return, we will organize
education for population and validate your protection, because
HEALTH SHOULD BE KEPT, AND BENEFACTORS SHOULD BE REMEMBERED AND
REPAY.
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