Katie Couric is committed to raising awareness about colon cancer — and that includes convincing anyone she can to have a colonoscopy when they hit 45. As the Today alum revealed at the SHE Media Co-Lab @ SXSW last weekend that includes big names like Jimmy Kimmel and, she hopes, Kevin Hart.
While speaking with doctors and industry experts on the topic of gut health and the rise of colon cancer in young adults, Couric told the audience that she’s “done everything I can” in recent years to encourage people to get screened for colon abnormalities and cancer. That included “getting an on-air colonoscopy on the Today show back in the year 2000, which resulted in a 20 percent increase in colonoscopies nationwide, which was so gratifying,” Couric recalled. “In the years since, I tried to keep this issue on the front burner. I took Jimmy Kimmel to get a colonoscopy a few years ago. I’m trying to get Kevin Hart to let me take him this year because he just turned 45 and he hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”
It’s a project Couric is passionate about for a touching reason. The former Today anchor lost her first husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998, when he was just 42 years old. In the decades since, Couric has dedicated herself to raising awareness about colon cancer and encouraging others (including celebrities!) to get screened.
A colonoscopy is a procedure that uses an endoscope to examine the large intestine, or colon, to look for anything unusual like growths or polyps, which could be a sign of health issues like colon cancer.
Per Yale Medicine, “The American Cancer Society and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that people between the ages of 45 and 75 who are at average risk for colorectal cancer undergo regular screening tests for colorectal cancer,” so your mid-forties are the age to get it done.
While gut health is a big buzzword in the wellness world these days, it’s important to remember that taking care of your digestive system isn’t just about eating probiotic-rich foods and plenty of fiber. You also want to pay attention to any unusual digestive symptoms (think: a change in bowel habits, blood in your stool, and discomfort in your belly, per Mayo Clinic) and stay on top of important screenings like colonoscopies. Hopefully, Couric can get celebs like Hart to do the same.
