> maintaining a healthy weight have long been the most important factors in cancer prevention. I don't think that's controversial
You'd be surprised. There are unfortunately many people who will aggressively attack anyone suggesting diet, exercise or weight management in any way to address obesity-related diseases. In their worldview, people have no agency to change their eating habits, and advising patients to do so is unhelpful, they exclusively want drugs, surgery or other accommodations to address issues.
Unless humans themselves have significantly changed somehow in the last fifty years, it would seem that there are indeed some systemic issues in play. I myself have had hip arthritis since I was seven years old, so I have sympathy for people who have individual issues that stymie them; it's been an absolute bitch for me to figure out how to exercise within my limits.
I know someone who is obese, rather unhealthy in other ways, and aggressively resists any proposed change in behavior from their doctor or anyone else. They are pushing to get a wheelchair prescription so that they can be even more inactive. Doctors probably over-index on these types of patients.
You'd be surprised. There are unfortunately many people who will aggressively attack anyone suggesting diet, exercise or weight management in any way to address obesity-related diseases. In their worldview, people have no agency to change their eating habits, and advising patients to do so is unhelpful, they exclusively want drugs, surgery or other accommodations to address issues.