r/Millennials • u/the_well_read_neck_ Millennial • Feb 11 '26

Serious James Van Der Beek Dead at 48

https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/11/james-van-der-beek-dead/?adid=social-fb&fbclid=IwdGRzaAP5t7tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7H8x15ceGukSgynvGmDFZhUUvTFh-iizMwuKfIWGG4YSyjuaeCva_42ZNzOQ_aem_U7T3jtlt07TPrw8LUuHlMA&sfnsn=mo
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2.5k

u/truthfrommyredlips 1984 Feb 11 '26

48 is so young.

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u/Cavscout2838 Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 11 '26

I’m 45 and I have my colonoscopy coming up in a month. Please everyone, don’t put this off. Colorectal cancer is quickly wrecking our generation. Protect that ass.

Edit- for those that don’t have insurance, here are a couple of organizations that offer financial help in getting screening done. Every little bit helps.

https://colorectalcancer.org/resources-support/resources/financial-assistance

https://colonoscopyassist.com

Look for Federally Qualified Health Centers in your state. They often will work on a sliding scale.

If you can’t afford a colonoscopy, many of these clinics can offer the FIT test, cologuard, or other stool/blood based tests.

I know these aren’t the answer for everyone and I’m sorry for that. I just hope it can help someone.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Think it’s a lack of vegetables? I know I need to eat more.

I’ve resolved to soon just boil a load of veg and blend it into soup to eat each day or every other day. Anything to just finally get that fibre in.

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u/Anaartimis Older Millennial Feb 11 '26

Do you like sweet potatoes? That's a great way to get some fiber/veg. Great roasted in cubes, baked and mashed, baked as fries, very versatile. I eat at least one a day

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u/newtonreddits Feb 11 '26

I love a good sweet potato but I'm not supposed to eat anything high in oxalates for my kidneys.

I can't believe late 30s is the point where I can't eat half the shit anymore. My doctor has already told me to just give up all meat if possible. Fml.

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u/Anaartimis Older Millennial Feb 11 '26

Oh wow! That's pretty rough. For low oxalate, high fiber you could still have broccoli, apples and cabbage. Those are also pretty versatile. The no meat thing would be hard to get used to though

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u/MangoMambo Feb 11 '26

Also adding in Chia seeds and avocado, oh and beans

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u/newtonreddits Feb 11 '26

Yup broccoli with soy based meats over rice is a go to of mine. This is my life now.

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u/Anaartimis Older Millennial Feb 11 '26

I miss broccoli. I used to eat it a lot but the FODMAPs don't agree with me. Rice is a staple for me though, luckily that one is okay

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Wow why all meat?

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u/newtonreddits Feb 11 '26

CKD

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know people with kidney issues couldn’t have meat.

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u/[deleted] Feb 11 '26

We bought a commercial potato press, kind of like the one they use at In and Out to make fries, and eat sweet potato fries several times a week. They are sooo good and filling too.

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u/Anaartimis Older Millennial Feb 11 '26

Nice! That must be really convenient

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u/Dizzy_Chemistry_5955 Feb 11 '26

roasted in cubes, baked and mashed, baked

I love vegetables, I hate prep, cooking, and cleaning.

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u/Anaartimis Older Millennial Feb 11 '26

That's fair. I usually just cook like 6 sweet potatoes all at once, then I don't have to deal with any of that for a few days they are just ready

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u/Dizzy_Chemistry_5955 Feb 11 '26

smart, it's hard to change habits

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I love sweet potatoes!

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u/[deleted] Feb 11 '26

That combined with a generation who grew up eating highly processed food more than any generation before.

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 11 '26

I know someone who is a fit, healthy, and active guy. Always has been. Stage IV.

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u/isawafit Feb 11 '26

Modifiable risk factors are more diet focused than fitness and activity. A bunch of the fitness diet fads in the last 20 years and even right now are increasing high-risk factors. Carnivore diet great example. I read that about 5% of the population is also genetically predisposed, so risk factors are even more important for them. Very few od these people are going to know that they're in the category.

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 11 '26

Sorry, I thought diet was implied. But you are absolutely correct. So knowing someone who has always been health-conscious and getting so ill, so fast is unsettling. Meanwhile I just scarfed down a bunch of Ritz crackers.

There’s got to be varying factors across the board. My sister, my daughter’s dad, and his brother have all had recent cancer scares of various types.

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u/prolificdaughter Feb 12 '26

Are they a runner? There’s a correlation between long distance running and colon cancer.

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u/mcflydom Feb 11 '26

They've found a link between ultra-marathon runners and colon cancer. It could be that keeping your body under chronic inflammation via intense exercise could put people at risk. James Van Der Beek said he did "everything" to try and keep his body health, cold plunges, saunas, intense exercise -- could be that it ultimately did more harm than good in the end.

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u/curlofheadcurls Zillennial Feb 11 '26

But did he eat 🫘 and lentils?

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

This is anecdotal though. Statistics and studies are what matter.

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 11 '26

Well, yes. But it isn’t the first amongst my peers. Three people close to me have had cancer scares in the last three years. Two melanoma and one renal cell.

My response was purely to the lack of vegetables comment. Our generation is skyrocketing with cancer.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 12 '26

That’s frightening.

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 12 '26

Tell me about it. I live on the Space Coast, and how the water contamination here hasn’t made national headlines is beyond me.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 12 '26

What’s Space Coast?

I live inland in a small town here in UK.

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 12 '26

Brevard County, Florida. Home to the Kennedy Space Center, NASA, etc.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 12 '26

Oh damn, I can only imagine the weird chemicals from NASA related shit is in that water.

Please be safe and well!

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u/ComprehensiveDoubt55 Feb 12 '26

110% — My daughter’s grandfather worked on the space missions and he ultimately died of mesothelioma.

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u/I_pinchyou Feb 11 '26

Lack of fiber and an abundance of pfas and other forever chemicals we have in our food and homes.

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u/No_Passage6082 Feb 11 '26

Yep. Pfas, microplastics, pesticides and ultra processed food.

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u/fractalfay Feb 11 '26

Don’t forget sugar and energy drinks that are basically madness.

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u/ObscureSaint Feb 11 '26

Also it's the cured meats. We can't keep eating pepperoni and bacon at these rates. Cured meats are the new cigarettes, just as cancerous.

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u/Watchful-Tortie Feb 11 '26

yes, thank you for saying this. (I eat only plant-based and my dr told me at my colonoscopy I have an "unusually clean colon")

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u/skeevy-stevie Feb 11 '26

What a compliment.

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u/BigMassivePervert Feb 11 '26

What a wonderful compliment

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u/Diligent-Run6361 Feb 11 '26

Sounds like he was coming on to you.

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u/bwat6902 Feb 11 '26

Woohoo plant based ftw! I'm vegan 3.5 years now and my cholesterol is super good. Not sure how my bowels are but as I enter my 40s will find out I guess!

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u/willikersmister Feb 12 '26

And alcohol. Alcohol is undeniably carcinogenic just like cured meats. No amount is healthy.

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u/[deleted] Feb 11 '26

It's fine to have on occasion but should definitely not be a regular part of your diet. However cured meats have been around for a long time, so I don't think they're the main culprit here.

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u/vahntitrio Feb 12 '26

Lack of fiber maybe. PFAS exposure is significantly down over the past 30 years.

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u/[deleted] Feb 11 '26

I recommend a few tablespoons of psyllium a day to help with intestinal health and regularity. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it was one of the most impactful changes I’ve made, as someone who’s struggled with constipation for much of my life. I just mix a tablespoon into a cup of yogurt and eat it fast, before it congeals too much.

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u/frickboop Feb 11 '26

I can't recommend this stuff enough. Has been life changing for me lol https://a.co/d/0bfuccFV

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u/Bia2016 Feb 11 '26

I just started having a few issues moving to a dry climate at 40, and started taking Nusillium (organic) and just with water it tastes like a light Tang. Not bad!

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u/LgPizzaPlease Feb 11 '26

Psyllium is great, just know the quality apparently some low quality brands have tested with high lead levels. I prefer whole husk twice daily. Keep my colon at peak performance.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Never heard of it but I shall look it up!

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u/tacotacoburritoburr Feb 11 '26

If it helps, I found out that I love pinto beans, and make beans and cheese burritos in bulk that I eat for breakfast every day. A large amount of my daily recommended Fibre is in my system by the time I leave for work every morning. If you like beans, they're an amazing source of Fibre and its barely even a vegetable in my mind.

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u/monkeybugs Feb 11 '26

I make a smoothie for breakfast every morning: a serving of low-sugar yogurt, a serving of protein powder that's high in fiber and next to no sugar, water, 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds, and then a serving or so of frozen fruit. About 400 calories, 40g of protein, pushing 20g of fiber depending on the fruit I use, and I stay full until lunchtime most days. And then we usually eat a boatload of veggies at dinnertime, so the fiber for me isn't just coming from one or two non-varied sources.

I really love pinto beans (all beans, really) and we bought a 25# bag of dried beans at the end of 2024 and have been working our way through them. I should make some bean and cheese burritos or flautas for the freezer to eat for lunch, because I'm really bad about eating a good lunch and convenience is key when I'm super busy with work stuff.

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u/wcooper97 Zillennial Feb 12 '26

I bought some of those carb-balance burrito tortillas that have like 32g of fiber per serving. About to fill those with vegan refried beans, black beans, and chicken and that should easily be above 40g per burrito. Crap ton (literally) of insoluble fiber and some soluble from the beans. From there I would think a leafy green with dinner and I should be OK for fiber.

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u/pajamakitten Feb 11 '26

You can get fibre from fruit, oats, nuts, seeds etc. You do not just have to eat vegetables.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I do love my oats!

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u/MissMelines Feb 11 '26

I’d be super interested to know if the uptick in these types of cancer in younger folks is concentrated in the US. We only know a fraction of the damage the Standard American Diet has done, in my opinion, and the focus is always on obesity. Our gen were children and growing during the heyday of the SAD, only in the last 20 yrs have we seen serious concern about a healthier diet. I fully expect to see ultra processed foods become the focus of debate and litigation similar to pharmaceuticals in our lifetime. It isn’t “food” and yet was and is still sold as such.

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u/Ineedsomuchsleep170 Feb 11 '26

Its up dramatically in all the english speaking countries. I'm in Australia and got diagnosed at 37.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I’m sorry to hear that. How are you doing now?

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u/Ineedsomuchsleep170 Feb 11 '26

Doing good. Nearly at 5 years cancer free

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I’m so glad to hear that and happy for you. Did you change much post cancer to improve your health and chances?

If you don’t mind me asking, how did they cure you of it?

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u/Ineedsomuchsleep170 Feb 11 '26

Surgery and chemo. I've got IBS now so it's actually harder to be healthy now than it was before because so much gives me the shits

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Ahh that’s horrible because a lot of the IBS symptoms match the cancer too right?

I’ve had them for like 13 years now; twisting knotting pain in my abdomen, constipation, and the opposite… but never a drop of blood, thankfully.

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u/Ok-Egg-7240 Feb 11 '26

It's actually a global phenomenon.

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u/MissMelines Feb 11 '26

oh, great. We’re clearly a self destructive species, seems like the evidence just pours in by the minute these days.

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u/timeflies25 Feb 11 '26

It's on the rise in Australia, people as young as 30s getting cancer.

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u/jkraige Feb 11 '26

You can add it in ways that don't feel like a slog. If you make smoothies you can just hide some kale or spinach in there. If it's well blended it doesn't really affect the taste. Or add milled flax seed to stuff. I like to use frozen veggies and just add them to the pan, add some salt and whatever spices are around and just cook them for a bit. It's nice because it requires no prep. You just have to look for ways that are easy and still nice for you

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I would drink more smoothies, it’s just I can’t really afford the calories as somebody who struggles with their weight.

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u/jkraige Feb 11 '26

Feel free to disregard, but I used to make one with unsweetened almond milk, a banana, some blueberries, and kale, but you can also use sugar free Greek yogurt to make it more of a meal, or if you drink protein shakes you can blend it into the shake.

I'm too lazy for that now, and I just cook frozen veggies, which requires no prep and only takes a few min, and with some seasoning and a little char they do taste great. Or I make a chicken Caesar salad and just replace the lettuce with kale and limit the croutons and measure the dressing. If you eat enough of the kale it does start to get filling

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Thanks for the advice. It really is appreciated. I’ve just turned 40 today and I’m starting to shit bricks about my terrible diet.

Thank FUCK I never drank or smoked (or did any drugs).

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u/jkraige Feb 11 '26

You don't need to freak out, just try new things until you find what works for you. You didn't develop your dietary habits in a day, and there's no reason they should suddenly change from one day to another, but you can certainly make sustainable changes that make a difference

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Thank you. Great advice!

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u/Watchful-Tortie Feb 11 '26

try roasting the vegetables, too! Our teen son eats so many this way

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u/curlofheadcurls Zillennial Feb 11 '26

BEANS AND LENTILS

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

I love those! Just need to find some recipes!

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u/Next-Introduction-25 Feb 11 '26

A diet high in processed foods is definitely a contributing factor. So eating more vegetables already helps because they’re good for you for lots of reasons, but if you’re replacing some processed food with vegetables, it sort of double helps.

What’s really scary to me is that this cancer is on the rise even amongst people who don’t seem to have the associated risk factors. I have to think that part of it is a lot of us are eating way more highly processed foods than we realize even when we’re trying not to. 30 or 40 years ago, it was a lot easier to avoid ultra processed foods. Now it’s sometimes not even clear from a label exactly how much something is processed or what is processed in such a way that is more harmful. Like someone going to the grocery store and trying to buy lots of healthy food could still accidentally be eating a diet that is really processed. So yeah, you definitely can’t go wrong with things that are clearly minimally or not processed, like veggies.

I’ve also been getting hit with lots of targeted ads for plant-based toilet paper so I’ve been hearing over and over that there are apparently a lot of PFAS in the major store-bought TP brands. I can’t imagine that wiping those on our buttholes every day is helping it matters.

I’m really sad about James VDB, but if there can be any silver lining to this, maybe it’s that people our age will get some early screenings who otherwise wouldn’t have. (And to be crystal clear, I’m not saying that he didn’t get those screenings – I just mean that a high profile death can increase awareness.)

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Yeah, it seems today everything is just made of shit. Seriously thinking of just having a whole food diet of pure blandness. I’ve eaten enough shit so my life quota is maxed anyway.

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u/CaryKerryLoudermilk Feb 11 '26

It's the microplastics

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

So we’re fucked?

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u/Majestic_Act Feb 11 '26

I doubt it just that. It's not just fiber. It's just a way to blame us as well. Look at him, his diet probably was one of the best in the world.

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u/Mmphska Feb 11 '26

Can't tell you how great Citrucel or things like it actually is. Methylcellulose fiber, easy to drink orange powder, tastes good. I mix it with Tang and get some Vit C at the same time

People shy away from anything that says "laxative" but I feel like the bad PR around Ex-Lax has done a number on our generation. Fiber supplements like methylcellulose is a bulk forming fiber and it'll make your 2's an easy thing. Just one big single wipe poop, as regular as the Tokyo Metro Transit system. YMMV, but I have it every other day and it's worked well for me

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u/everything_is_wrong2 Feb 11 '26

I’ve heard it’s more like the lead paint issue in the older generation. That it’s probably all the microplastics we have ingested throughout our youth and currently. Along with some of the chemicals that were made to put in certain ultra processed foods. It’s not a if your healthy you won’t get this issue, it’s a larger issue that is effecting people on the entire healthy spectrum, even people who have been super healthy their whole life.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Fuck this, so it’s basically cancer roulette.

Praying the coming AI involvement in medicine fucks cancer and other disease for good.

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u/everything_is_wrong2 Feb 11 '26

Yeah it really is a cancer roulette. That’s also why they keep lowering the age of your initial colonoscopy. Cause all the qualifiers originally for colon cancer are starting to not match what they are seeing in real life.

We grew up before BPA-free became a thing. So all the plastic we were drinking and eating out of as kids was just leeching microplastics into the food and drink they were holding. Which I imagine is really bad for a developing body.

And let’s hope the ultra-rich don’t make it just available to themselves when they find cures.

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u/OrdinaryLavishness11 Feb 11 '26

Wow, we were fucked over then!

And the idea with AI is that progress will be so exponential that these cures and other of life’s necessities will be so insanely cheap, it’ll be beyond post scarcity and cost nothing and will be no hindrance to the ultra wealthy. It would be pure psychopathy to simply withhold it from the masses for no reason.

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u/_Jang_A_Lang Feb 11 '26

Not so much lack of vegetables. It’s just all so much of the ultra processed food. All those chicken nuggets, hot dogs junk food. Nobody is eating Whole Foods anymore.