We are increasingly
encouraged to be healthy. Government advice, advertising, peer pressure, and
social and media messages all promote its benefits: Good health follows if we
avoid sugar, quit smoking and eat less processed meat in favour of vegetables.
Exercise and physical activity are not just good for the soul; a little
positive thinking can give a boost to the immune system.
But what does
“good health” really mean? A simple definition is being in good physical
condition, but in analysing an insurance applicant’s risk, does this imply a
particular weight, size in clothes, or a body free from heart disease or
cancer? After all, cancer remains a leading cause of death, not to mention a
significant chunk of payments made under Critical Illness insurance
policies worldwide.
Each person’s
interpretation of what it means to be healthy is shaped by a unique combination
of physical, mental and emotional characteristics that we call lifestyle. How
we choose to live has a direct impact on health outcomes that are linked to
diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
Some insurance
programmes already promote behavioural change by offering rewards for physical
activity. Although no science lies behind 10,000 daily steps, evidence
indicates that inactivity increases the risk of ischaemic heart disease, stroke
and diabetes. Moderate and vigorous exercise helps with energy, balance and
weight control - and can protect against obesity, which is also linked to
certain cancers.
The numbers for cancer
are growing but more people than ever survive the diagnosis, thanks to improved
detection and more effective treatments. However, the direct and indirect costs
of cancer remain significant. Between 30% and 50% of the most common
cancers may be preventable through changes in diet, weight and exercise and
avoiding unhealthy exposure. While people increasingly shun tobacco, this
cancer risk is being displaced by inactivity and body fatness; smoking is
responsible for 54,000 new UK cancer cases annually but overweight is
closing in second with 23,000.1
A new resource, the
Continuous Update Project (CUP), part of the World Cancer Research Fund,
helps make sense of these risks. CUP systematically evaluates global scientific
evidence on how diet, nutrition, physical activity and weight affect cancer
risk and survival. CUP’s careful assessment of the most recent research can
help determine how to minimise the risk of developing the disease.
The latest CUP
report “Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a
Global Perspective” was published in May 2018.2 It
reports consistent evidence of “exposures” linked to cancer development -
exposures that include diet, body fatness and the effects of physical
exercise on the biological mechanisms. Exercise reduces visceral fat, improves
insulin sensitivity and enhances DNA repair mechanisms, all of which decrease
carcinogenesis. A nutrient-dense diet brimming with vitamins and fibre is
favourable to one featuring too much salt, sugar saturated and trans-fats. The
findings on alcohol, however, show the greater the consumption, the greater the
risk of cancer.
For insurers thinking of
customer engagement programmes, confirmation that a healthy pattern of physical
activity and diet decreases cancer risk is helpful. The CUP recommendations are
intended to be adopted as a lifestyle package and the report offers insights
into what this could look like. Another important outcome is that CUP helps
direct future cancer study to plug research gaps. This will lead to more effective
understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms that link pre-clinical
cancer models to long term health strategies and improved outcomes for
survivors.
Endnotes
1. Cancer
Research UK.
2. Available online
at dietandcancerreport.org.
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