Vegetarianism

Too Much Meat

Americans need to reduce their meat intake juristically. We consume more meat than any other country. "Obesity has increased over 20% in the past decade in the United States, and more than one-half of US adults are overweight or obese".(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

The overconsumption of meat causes cancer and other health risks.. There are a number of studies that prove this to be a fact. One study states that the reduction in meat intake can significantly reduce the chances of of getting colorectal cancer. The study was taken with almost a 150,000 Americans. This was the largest and most comprehensive study to date and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The results of the study suggested that the intake of processed meat increased the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Dr. Micheal J. Thun co-author of the study says, "More than two dozen studies have already identified the relationship between consumption of red or processed meat and increased risk of colorectal cancer, with most most showing greater risk in people in people with higher consumption." The high consumption of red meat would mean that the person ate at least three ounces daily. This is interesting considering that a quarter pound hamburger weighs 4 ounces. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition "you should only consume one ounce of processed meat a day--equivalent to a piece of bologna or four slices of cooked bacon." This is hard to believe considering that Burger King just introduced the double stack breakfast sandwich. Not only does the sandwich have four strips of bacon on it but it has slices of ham as well. This is whats wrong with are society today. Not only do people need to put bacon on a sandwich but they need ham as well. Our answer to all of this is simple, "eat more fruits and vegetables", but it may not be that simple. A recent study has connected high red meat intake to colorectal cancer risks. One would believe that the solution is to eat a substantial amount of fruits and vegetables to avoid these risks. Along with confirming the risk of high red meat intake with risks of colorectal cancer the study was also designed to confirm that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables will reduce your chance of cancer. The results were inconclusive. Although, it suggested that the eating habbits of young children may be associated with the risk of cancer more than that of an adult.

John Robbins wrote "Diet for a new America" which lists some statistics relating food used