Event is one of dozens being hosted around the U.S. and abroad
Plant-based cooking instructor and certified health coach Sapna Von Reich will lead a Let’s Beat Breast Cancer rally at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Old Town Square. The Colorado State University drumline will perform, and Dr. Rochelle Palmiscno, from Loveland, will speak on lifestyle modifications that can help reduce the risks of breast cancer.
The event’s message is simple: Eating a plant-based diet and incorporating other lifestyle changes can be powerful preventive medicine for breast cancer.
The Fort Collins rally is one of dozens around the country and world. In all, thousands of survivors, organizers and community members will rally this breast cancer awareness season so women everywhere can learn the lifesaving message of prevention.
Led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a health advocacy nonprofit of 17,000 doctors, the free events will raise awareness of strategies that can help thwart breast cancer. They’ll feature performances by local marching bands, testimonials from those impacted by breast cancer, plant-based food samples and more.
As part of the campaign, a digital billboard will be installed in Fort Collins this week at U.S. 14 and Link Lane. It asks, “What’s Best for Your Breasts” and informs passersby that a plant-based diet can help prevent breast cancer.
Statistics show one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in 2022, the latest year for which mortality data is available, 42,211 women died of breast cancer. And the disease disproportionately affects Black women, who have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than white women.
The Physicians Committee encourages people to reduce breast cancer risk by following the research-backed four-pronged approach:
- Eat a whole food, plant-based diet
- Exercise regularly
- Limit alcohol
- Maintain a healthy weight
A recent physicians committee/morning consult survey showed just 28 percent of U.S. women are aware of the link between diet and breast cancer.
The poll included 2,017 women interviewed July 25-28, 2024. When prompted with a follow-up question about which specific foods might reduce breast cancer risk, 23 percent mentioned vegetables and 16 percent mentioned fruits. Only 17 percent were aware that soy products reduce breast cancer risk, while 16 percent erroneously said that soy increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
The survey highlights a significant lack of awareness of the link between diet and breast cancer. By bringing education to dozens of communities, the Let’s Beat Breast Cancer campaign aims to address this knowledge gap.
Dr. Kristi Funk, a breast cancer surgeon and leading prevention expert from Los Angeles, said, “It’s clear that millions of women have yet to hear the lifesaving message that what they eat and drink strongly influences their chances of developing breast cancer. Science shows nearly 50 percent of cases are preventable through diet and lifestyle, at least in theory, and in my opinion, 80 to 90 percent of cases could be avoided.”
For more information on the steps women can take to decrease their chances of developing breast cancer, and to find a rally near you, visit letsbeatbreastcancer.org.
