Junk Free June is an initiative that was created with the ideal of giving up an unhealthy habit and replacing it with a healthier one. The aim is to create healthier lifestyle choices to combat the impact that poor nutrition has on individual health and overall wellbeing. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Report on Diet, Nutrition & the Prevention of Chronic Diseases has found a direct link between insufficient nutritional needs and absence of physical activity or exercise in relation to developing potentially preventable lifestyle related cancers and diseases.
The link between increased body weight ie. overweight or obese individuals and physical inactivity increases the risk of developing cancers and has been shown to be second only to smoking or tobacco in regards to risk for cancer or other diseases associated with lifestyle.
The Cancer Society of New Zealand created the month long event to raise awareness of the increasing number of cancers that can be prevented through adequate nutrition and healthy food choices. By replacing an unhealthy habit such as reducing junk food intake and consuming more fresh rather than processed foods, the risk of getting certain cancers decreases. The current guidelines from the Cancer Council to lower your risk are: maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active or exercising most days, eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods in order to help prevent diseases such as type II diabetes, some cancers and ensuring overall good health.
World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Geneva, WHO. 2003.