Young Britons know more about the risks of cancer than older people, according to a survey published yesterday.
Just 45 per cent of people over the age of 55 realise that alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, researchers found. This compared with 53 per cent in total.
Asked about diet, weight and exercise, older people were less likely than others to realise these can contribute to cancer risk, according to the World Cancer Research Fund survey.
Nearly 2,000 people took part in the YouGov survey.
Just 38 per cent of those over the age of 55 linked fitness to cancer risk in the survey.
The charity said that overall there have been increases in public awareness in the last two years. In total some 45 per cent now link fitness to cancer – compared with 33 per cent two years ago.
Liz Cooney, of WCRF, said: "The scientific evidence that we can reduce our cancer risk by making healthy lifestyle choices is overwhelming, so it is a real concern that so many older people are not aware of this.
"This is because if people do not know what increases and reduces risk then they are not in a position to make informed choices about their lifestyle.
"As a charity, we also need to get the message across that it is never too late to start thinking about cancer prevention. No matter how old you are, you can make lifestyle changes that can reduce your cancer risk."
She added: "We are still nowhere near a position where the links between cancer and diet and physical activity are as widely known as the link with smoking. The survey also showed that 90 per cent of people are aware of the smoking link, so there is still a long way to go before this happens."
Meanwhile the British government was celebrating ten years of its NHS Stop Smoking programmes.
The drive to cut smoking in England has saved at least 70,000 lives in the last decade, ministers said today.
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