A new Report into the causes of cancer could leave people in Fermanagh wondering what to put on the table for their evening meal.

For, the Report has blamed a whole range of everyday foods for causing the disease. For instance, consumers have been warned to avoid processed meats, including bacon, ham and sausages, and to limit their intake of red meat and salt.

Even supposedly healthy fruit and vegetables were said to offer only, 'limited' protection against the disease.

However, since the Report was revealed almost a week ago there has been growing medical and food industry backlash against the £4.5 million study by 21 international experts on behalf of the World Cancer Research Fund.

The Report also found that being overweight is as bad for you as smoking. Excess body fat has been identified as triggering at least six common cancers, including those affecting the breast, bowel, and pancreas.

The study found strong evidence that red meat and processed meats can cause bowel cancer, while there are strong links between alcohol and mouth, oesophagus and breast cancers.

The Report's guidelines include staying as lean as possible and eating no processed meats and only 500g of cooked red meat a week, the equivalent of about three 6oz steaks.

To reach their verdict, the Report's authors sifted through 7,000 of the best studies on cancer, diet and exercise produced over the last 40 years.

Professor Martin Wiseman, the project director, said it was a 'milestone' that could help people through a maze of conflicting health messages.

He said: "When individual studies are published, it is impossible for the public to put them into context and know how seriously they should be taking the findings. This Report does their job for them. If people follow our recommendations, they can be confident they are following the best advice possible based on all the scientific research."

But, Professor Sikora, the medical director of CancerPartnersUK submitted: "Cancer can't be reduced to a simple formula. It takes a great deal of eating the wrong foods to significantly raise cancer risk. This Report gives the impression that if you don't eat a sausage, you won't get cancer."

And, Richard Lowe, the chief executive of the Meat and Livestock Commission added: "We were surprised by the extremely draconian recommendations not to eat processed meats. Ham and bacon are two of the most popular meat products.

"The Food Standards Agency recommends red meats, including processed meats, as part of a healthy balanced diet."

And, he pointed out that the Report linked obesity with six cancers, alcohol with five and meat with just one.

The Report, meanwhile, recommends remaining as lean as possible, suggesting that putting on weight can increase your cancer risk, even if you are still within the healthy range. Fast foods high in fat, sugar and calories should be avoided, along with fizzy and sugary drinks. People should also drink only one glass of fruit juice a day.

There were mixed messages about dairy products.

Milk was thought to protect against bowel cancer and, possibly bladder cancer, but high-calcium diets may be a cause of prostate cancer. Breast-feeding, in contrast protects mother against breast cancer and children against adult obesity.
The Report states that exercise lowers cancer risk and that people should aim for an hour of moderate activity a day or 30 minutes of vigorous activity.