National TV Ad Calls for Hot Dog Ban in Schools

Schools should stop serving hotdogs and other processed meats because even small amounts increase the risk of adult cancer, says a provocative new commercial airing on TV stations around the country. The spot is produced by the Cancer Project, an affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Provocative Spot Highlights Cancer Risk from Processed Meats; Commercial Airing in Cities Across the Country; Survey Shows Atlanta, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and D.C. Schools Are Worst Offenders."Protect Our Kids," which can be watched online at www.pcrm.org/hotdog.html, is based on a comprehensive report released late last year 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."

- WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire (Read the whole article by clicking here)