Working-age adults are failing to follow key lifestyle recommendations linked to reducing cancer risk, leading calls for employers to play a greater role in tackling misinformation and improving access to evidence-based health support.
According to Perci Health’s cancer risk assessment, 81 per cent of respondents showed low adherence to nutritional guidelines associated with cancer prevention, while 63 per cent had a BMI linked to elevated cancer risk. Additionally, 63 per cent showed low adherence to other lifestyle recommendations, including sun protection behaviours.
It also found that young adults are the least aware of cancer risk factors, with just 24 per cent of under-35s identifying diet as a cancer risk factor, while men aged 25 to 34 were the most likely to believe that lifestyle factors have no link to cancer risk.
Meanwhile, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that 44 per cent of patient-facing NHS staff are asked about misleading nutrition or supplement claims at least once a week.
Perci Health adds that questions about supplements, restrictive diets and nutrition myths feature in most consultations with specialist dietitians.
Employers, insurers and benefits providers are being urged to provide employees with greater access to cancer prevention education, risk assessment tools, screening guidance and specialist clinical support.
Perci Health co-founder and CEO of and former oncology dietitian Kelly McCabe says: “WCRF’s TRUST Test is a really helpful reminder that people need simple ways to question the health information they see online. But we also need to recognise that cancer is an area where people can feel frightened, overwhelmed or desperate for answers.
“As a former oncology dietitian, I know how difficult it can be for people to separate evidence-based nutrition advice from claims that sound convincing but are not clinically appropriate. This becomes even more challenging in cancer, where people are often looking for reassurance, control and practical steps they can take.
“Nutrition and supplements are a particularly difficult area because so much of the content people see online sounds credible, personal or hopeful. But when that information is inaccurate, exaggerated or not based on evidence, it can distract people from the actions that are proven to make a difference.
“Workplaces have a real opportunity to provide trusted, evidence-based cancer education in a way that feels accessible, relevant and engaging. This is not about placing responsibility on employees. It is about giving people better access to credible information and specialist support.”
Perci Health specialist cancer dietitian Rachel White says: “Cancer nutrition is one of the areas where misinformation can spread very quickly, particularly online. People are often told that certain foods, supplements or restrictive diets can prevent cancer, treat cancer or ‘starve’ cancer, but these claims are rarely that simple and can be misleading.
“Good nutrition advice should help people feel informed and supported, not blamed or overwhelmed. For cancer prevention, we need to focus on the evidence around sustainable lifestyle factors such as eating a balanced diet, including fibre-rich foods, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol and being physically active.
“For people living with or beyond cancer, the advice may be very different depending on their diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and wider health needs. That is why access to specialist cancer nutrition support matters. It helps people understand what is relevant to them, what is backed by evidence and what they should be cautious about.”
McCabe says: “Employees are already searching for answers about cancer risk, nutrition, screening and symptoms. The problem is that too many of them are finding those answers in the wrong places. The employers who give their people access to trusted, specialist-led cancer support, across the full journey from prevention to recovering health, will see the difference in their people’s lives, and in their absence and claims data.”
