what does this mean? i am reading an English book about cancer?

Question

(vegetarian seventh day adventists) have a lower incidence in colonic and rectal cancer than the rest of the american population, but (Utah Mormons) have even less despite the percapita beef consumption slightly higher than the U.S average

Kindly Explain what's in brackets because English is my second language

Answer 1

The idea being conveyed is that meat consumption does not seem to be a factor in the development of colon cancer.

(vegetarian seventh day adventists) -- Vegetarian refers to people who choose not to eat meat. Seventh Day Adventists are a Christian religious group apparently with a branch that observes a vegetarian diet. They are probably using this group since they probably really are observing the diet properly since it is a religious principle for them and they are probably geographically close and easier for researchers to track.

Mormons are another religious group that are concentrated in Utah but present thoughout the U.S. They are not vegetarian. It was probably important to pick another religious group so that other variables might be a bit less.

It has long been believed that a high fiber (vegetarian) diet prevented colon cancer, however, this study puts that theory in question. Another factor to consider is do religious people have a lower incidence of colon cancer? Is there something they are doing or not doing that protects them from colon cancer?

That a disease occurs less often in a large U.S. religious group is not particularly surprising. On average (with individual exceptions of course) they are less likely to smoke, drink, drive carelessly, etc, and are more likely to brush, floss, exercize, see their doctor regularlly, get PAP smears and mammograms, etc. So there is more here going on that just the presence or absence of meat in the diet.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I did not know that Seventh Day Adventists were vegetarian. Perhaps only a subset of them are. Seventh Day Adventists are members of a particular, rather conservative Christian sect in America. Mormons are the people who settled Utah in pioneer days. They are also a religious sect, and I believe they are considered protestant Christians, but I won't swear to that, as they are rather different from most Christians.

Anyway, these two sects have very different eating habits, so some other explanation needs to be made as to their incidence of colorectal cancer. In other words, the book is saying there's nothing conclusive to be drawn from these statistics. However, eating beef does not seem to be a cause of this particular cancer, at least directly.

My own take on cancer is the reason we have not pinned down causes any better than we have is that there are a great many interlocked causes. Once a particular tissue gets irritated or damaged in some way over and over, it has increased risk of cancer. However, the many causes of that damage can make it very confusing indeed.

Answer 3

"Vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists" - well, Seventh Day Adventists are a Christian denomination. The idea that some are vegetarian, and that scientists think that vegetarians of just this one denomination are important, is just odd. But no matter, that's what it means.

"Utah Mormons" - Mormonism is a Christian sect, and Utah is where the sect basically took root. Mormons are found throughout the US and around the world. The book is pointing out that Mormons IN UTAH are the ones who were important in the study.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

they're both different religious groups. the Seventh Day Adventists who are vegetarian - this means the Seventh Day Adventists don't eat any meat. Mormons are from Utah (the u.s. state), so that explains the Utah Mormons part.

Different religious groups have different laws regarding what they can and cannot eat, and this effects whether they get cancer or not, and what type of cancer they get. That's all that means.

Answer 5

Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons are both religious groups... not knowing what the context this came from I can't really explain it to you, but it's referring to there being maybe some link between religious practice and having lower chances for certain cancers.

Answer 6

vegetarian seventh day adventists

vegetarian means that they don't eat meat and a seventh day adventist means that they go to church on saturday and believe that jesus is the savior and lord and that he died on the cross to save all us sinners.

a utan morman is somebody who lives in utah that is a morman. a morman is a religion and instead of using the bible like the seveenth day adventists they have the book of mormans which they follow.

Answer 7

Mormon is a religion and Utah is home to a very large percentage of Mormons

Answer 8

People that practice better lifestyles generally are healthier.

Answer 9

They are just two different religious denominations..two different forms of christianity.