The Perils of Meat Consumption

The Perils of Meat Consumption

America loves meat: it's what's for dinner. There's nothing like a hearty meal with a slab of sizzling steak, or a juicy honey-roasted turkey to boost that Thanksgiving spirit. Davy Crocket probably never met an animal he didn't hunt or barbecue; American Indians had their tetonkas (buffalo) and ate them too. To say meat eating is embedded in the American culture would not be an understatement. But decades of feasting on meat has taken its toll on the health of millions, as heart disease leaped to the top of the casualty list in recent decades. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a shocking 62 percent of adult Americans were overweight in 2000 (a 16% jump from 1980), of which Twenty-seven percent of adults were obese (at least 30 pounds overweight), a two-fold jump from 1960. More alarming are upward trends in obesity for U.S. children (USDA). Meantime, other meat-induced problems abound, such as repeated pathogen outbreaks, cruelty-to-animal practices, and environmental pollution, to name just a few. As a result, Americans are increasingly changing their meat diet in favor of vegetables and fruits. Even the First Lady got into the act with her nouveau vegetable gardens in the White House. Public schools are also paying more attention to students' health and began to institute plant diets for lunches. The message is clear