> If everyone stopped smoking, there would be 64,500 fewer cases of cancer a year in the UK, compared with 8,800 fewer cases if everyone stopped eating processed or red meat.
Even that statistic greatly overstates the risk of red meat as compared to smoking. Because it's not adjusted for the percentage of the population that smoke vs the percentage that eat processed or red meat.
In the UK, only 16.9% currently smoke[1] but I believe that the great majority eat meat[2]. (I'm surprised how few people smoke now -- I remember a time when most people smoked.)
The statistic makes it sound like you're 7 times more likely to die from smoking than from processed or red meat (64500/8800 = 7). But if my math is correct, the death ratio should be more like smoking being 39 times worse (64500/16.9%) / (8800/90%) = 39).
Even that statistic greatly overstates the risk of red meat as compared to smoking. Because it's not adjusted for the percentage of the population that smoke vs the percentage that eat processed or red meat.
In the UK, only 16.9% currently smoke[1] but I believe that the great majority eat meat[2]. (I'm surprised how few people smoke now -- I remember a time when most people smoked.)
The statistic makes it sound like you're 7 times more likely to die from smoking than from processed or red meat (64500/8800 = 7). But if my math is correct, the death ratio should be more like smoking being 39 times worse (64500/16.9%) / (8800/90%) = 39).
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_tobacco_consumpt...
[2] I didn't find a statistic specifically about red meat or processed meat, but only 10% of the population are "meat-avoiders" according to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country#Unite...