Pear Twins In Hot Soup

Living on the veg…

oung David and Stephen Flynn wouldn’t be the only two people in Greystones who believe in the cancer-battling power of going vegan.

And they wouldn’t be the first to find such beliefs being flambéd by medical professionals.

The controversy was sparked during the week with the Happy Pear brothers telling people on their social media that they can avoid cancer by eating well.

Advice that has been described as “well-intentioned” but “irresponsible” by health experts.

In a video going out to their 523,000 YouTube followers and 593,000 Instagram followers, David and Stephen claimed that eating mushrooms reducing the risk of breast cancer, along with eating soy “two to three times a day” and “eight to 13 portions of fruit and veg every day“.

Speaking on the video, Liz O’Riordan, a breast surgeon who has had breast cancer, debunked many of the brothers’ claims. “It worries me that as a doctor and a patient that vulnerable people believe these claims from influencers,” she stated in a video posted to her Twitter account on Friday.

Science writer David Robert Grimes meanwhile dismissed many of the claims made by the Happy Pear duo as nonsense. “Cancer is a disease, not a moral failing,” he stated, “yet patients are constantly told that if they just eat differently, eating clean or healthy or natural foods, they could have avoided their cancer. This chiding comes with implicit blame, even if not intended. It’s also generally wrong.”

Pointing out that the brothers mixed good advice on smoking, alcohol and weight with “spurious” claims, Grimes took exception to their stated statistic that one in seven women in the UK and in other developed countries will be diagnosed with breast cancer compared to one in 100 in Hong Kong or one in 1,000 in China.

“Cancer is primarily a disease of ageing,” he said, pointing out that the comparison made was not a fair one. “A woman in her sixties has 100 times the breast cancer risk of a woman in her twenties.” Grimes went on to state that the Pears’ comparision doesn’t take into account hereditary, hormonal and societal factors.

“It’s a random disease,” the Irish writer continued as he addressed the implication inherent in making food a “moral issue” that people were responsible for their own cancer. “You can do everything right and still get cancer.”

O’Riordan stated that she had been contacted by women who saw the Happy Pear video and they had asked if it was their fault that they got cancer by not being vegan.

“The two biggest risks,” she said of getting cancer, “are being a woman and getting older.”

The Flynns issued the following statement…

The Happy Pear acknowledges that some of the content in a recent post (on Instagram and Facebook) promoting an upcoming podcast with Dr Nitu Bajekal, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist from London UK, has caused offence as a few of the statements were not qualified appropriately. We sincerely apologise for any offense caused, it is never our intention to mislead or to misinform.

The Happy Pear partners with many highly qualified and experienced medical practitioners and we always defer to their professional expertise and opinions. The Happy Pear never represents itself as a medical professional or medical expert. Our main purpose serves to highlight some of the health and lifestyle benefits of plant based eating. We will endeavour to ensure that this does not happen again.

You can find out more about breast cancer on the HSE website here, and healthy eating here.