Break Up With Bacon: Doctor-Led Protest at McDonald’s on April 19

BALTIMORE—On April 19, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine—a nonprofit with 12,000 doctor members—warned Baltimore residents that bacon causes cancer with signs and free cancer screening tests at the McDonald’s by University of Maryland Hospital on 425 W. Baltimore St. Pinar Miski, M.D., a Baltimore physician, led the protest.

“Your colon isn’t lovin’ McDonald’s bacon,” says Lee Crosby R.D., L.D. “McDonald’s should be offering customers a free colorectal cancer screening with every order of cancer-causing bacon.”

Bacon increases the risk of colorectal cancer and has been classified as “carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization. After reviewing more than 800 studies, WHO concluded that each 50-gram portion of processed meat (a few slices of bacon or a hot dog) eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research have also found that “the evidence on processed meat and cancer is clear-cut.” Both the American Medical Association and the American College of Cardiology have recommended that hospitals remove processed meat from menus.

Colorectal cancer isn’t the only cancer risk that comes from consuming processed meat. Eating 50 grams of processed meat daily also increases the risk of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and overall cancer mortality. And a study of more than 200,000 women found that eating about 20 grams of processed meat each day—less than half the size of a regular hot dog—increased breast cancer risk by 21 percent.

To speak with Dr. Miski or another expert, please contact Kenzie Phillips at 202-527-7342 or kphillips [at] pcrm.org (kphillips[at]pcrm[dot]org).