Cancer Diagnosis Not Tied to Later Healthier Eating Habits
TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- A cancer diagnosis does not appear to lead to improved dietary awareness or healthier eating behaviors in survivors, according to a study published online June 3 in Public Health Nutrition.
Hemangi Mavadiya, M.P.H., R.D., and Yunxia Lu, M.D., from the University of California-Irvine, investigated diet-related cancer risk awareness and behaviors among cancer survivors. The analysis included 6,124 cancer survivors and 35,554 people without cancer participating in the Health Information National Trends Survey (2003 to 2022).
The researchers observed no significant differences in diet-related cancer risk awareness or behaviors between cancer survivors and individuals without cancer, including consumption of red and processed meat, alcohol, fiber, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fruits and vegetables. Overall, 82 percent of both survivors and those without cancer failed to meet the American Cancer Society recommendations for daily fruit consumption (odds ratio, 0.91; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.77 to 1.06), and approximately 75 percent did not meet the daily vegetable intake guidelines (odds ratio, 0.96; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.83 to 1.11).
"Cancer treatment specialists view a cancer diagnosis as a 'teachable moment' that increases openness to adopting a healthy lifestyle," Mavadiya said in a statement. "However, this study shows that there is a critical need for targeted dietary and behavioral interventions for the survivors and that education from provider to survivor is insufficient."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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