Move your Butt and help beat bowel cancer this June

Bowel Cancer New Zealand has launched Move your Butt for bowel cancer awareness month this June. This new campaign encourages 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. 1

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.”

The campaign runs from the 1st until the of 30th June 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.”

Move your Butt month is being supported by a range of ambassadors including One News sports commentator Jenny-May Clarkson and Claire Turnbull, nutritionist from Mission Nutrition and Healthy Food Guide.

Clarkson lost her brother to bowel cancer at age 56, so she knows first hand how important it is to seek help early. “I believe he knew something wasn’t right. While he had all the classic symptoms, I’m not certain he was aware that it was cancer.”

She’s taking on the Move your Butt challenge to raise awareness of bowel cancer and its symptoms. “Cancer is such as hideous thing, no matter what kind of cancer it is. But because my brother died of bowel cancer, I’m acutely aware of it.”

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.

1 WHO, Global Recommendations of physical activity for health, 2011.

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;
• Anaemia.
About Bowel Cancer New Zealand
• Bowel Cancer New Zealand is a patient and family-led charity organisation.
• The registered charity was founded in 2010 by a group of people affected by bowel cancer, committed to improving bowel cancer awareness and outcomes for people with the disease.
• Bowel Cancer New Zealand aims to provide clear and up-to-date information about the disease, symptoms, what to do if diagnosed and to support patients and families affected by bowel cancer.
• The ultimate aim of Bowel Cancer New Zealand is to prevent lives being lost to this disease and to promote the national screening program rollout in New Zealand.

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