Bowel Cancer New Zealand has launched Move your Butt encouraging all New Zealanders to get off their butts and challenge themselves to move more, as exercising and eating well are proven to help beat bowel cancer.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand general manager, Rebekah Heal, says, “No one likes to talk about bowel cancer, yet it kills as many New Zealanders as breast and prostate cancer combined. During June alone, 100 Kiwis will die and a further 250 will be diagnosed. It’s a national emergency and it’s important that New Zealanders are aware of the signs and symptoms and most importantly, how to prevent it.”
Bowel Cancer New Zealand encourages open discussion about bowel cancer with medical professionals and avoiding ‘sitting on your symptoms’. Symptoms include:
- Bleeding from the bottom or seeing blood in the toilet after a bowel motion;
- Change of bowel motions over several weeks that can come and go;
- Persistent or periodic severe pain the abdomen;
- A lump or mass in the abdomen;
- Tiredness and loss of weight for no particular reason.
Beat bowel cancer
The campaign runs from June 1-30 and Bowel Cancer New Zealand is asking all New Zealanders – young or old, fit or unfit – to Move their Butts more during June. The challenge does not need to be extreme like running a marathon, it simply means challenging yourself to exercise more than you usually do.
Heal says, “So this June, we are aiming to get all Kiwis off the couch and moving more – even if it’s just a 10-minute walk a day. Everyone who takes part will be helping themselves prevent bowel cancer– and by getting their friends and family to sponsor them, they’ll be raising valuable funds to beat this silent killer.”
So get moving – sign up at www.moveyourbutt.org.nz to help more New Zealanders beat bowel cancer.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand receives no government funding and all funds raised will go towards awareness, advocacy, research and support of people living with bowel cancer.
According to the NZ Ministry of Health, bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death in New Zealand, but it can be treated successfully if it is detected and treated early.
