A Healthier Way to Eat
Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) fling fake blood at fur-toting celebrities. Secret footage is filmed in some of the factory farms our habits employ that highlight egregious treatment practices; animals rest in their own feces or are tortured for their meat. Many argue against speciesism, the notion that homo sapiens, as a species, are superior to all others and are therefore granted the right to slaughter them. Other prominent celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres or Liam Hemsworth or former president Bill Clinton don’t eat meat and often preach their method as one that is more conscious and more empathetic to the world we live in. Recently here on campus, a representative from PETA stood on the path all day and passed out flyers to students and faculty members which outlined the ethical and dietary benefits of abstaining from meat consumption. The majority of the pamphlets were scoffed at or quickly thrown away. One group of students laughed when offered the sheet.
Vegetarianism or veganism, when placed upon anyone who does not adhere to that strict diet, can easily feel pushy, offensive and easy to reject. We are often told that to eat meat is to walk on the moral low-ground, that the sensible, sustainable, respectable thing to do is to stop eating it.
But in the world’s richest and best-educated nations, people eat the most meat. In 2007, when about two percent of the world followed a vegetarian diet, the average citizen consumed 200 pounds of meat per year. The world average was about half that, coming in at around 102 pounds. This is not because there are more advocates of a plant-based diet in poorer or developing nations; meat consumption is strongly correlated with a country’s wealth.
Many vegans and vegetarians in America shame and blame omnivores in the hopes that they will change their actions and consumer habits. But do we not know that preaching is ineffective, that America is a nation of gung-ho meat eaters who are inclined to stick to their guns and their routines? No one likes to be accused. And no one likes to give up an activity that feels close to their pleasure and cuisine of choice.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report that stated the consumption of processed meats like salami, prosciutto or (most horrifyingly) bacon is linked with a notably higher risk of colon cancer, and the report made front-page news around the world. Vegans and vegetarians rejoiced.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us take a step backward. No, consuming meat (even processed meat) is not equitable to the increased risk of lung cancer if one chooses to regularly smoke cigarettes. The amount of meat eaten by the greatest amount of people is not as dangerous as the risk at which an alcoholic puts his or her liver.
Appeals to pity and morality, however, don’t seem to be working. Few are compelled by the fact that the livestock sector uses more land than any other human industry, that the production of a single quarter-pound hamburger necessitates toxic methane emissions, the use of nearly 60 gallons or clean water and 6.7 pounds of feed.
If the goal of environmentalists, of the most conscious eaters, of those interested in preserving the world’s resources like clean water and arable land as they become more precious and global populations continue to increase, is to slow meat consumption, we need to change tactics.
Let’s stop asking people to care about something bigger, let’s ask them to care about themselves. This has proved to be highly effective on a large scale, especially in the developed nations which need to reform their practices most. In the age of selfies, fad diet and increased interest in personal health (quinoa was an unknown grain a few years ago and kale an avoided leafy green), let’s appeal to health.We do not need meat to survive, particularly when it is processed. But instead of shaming consumers for buying bacon at the grocery store, let’s call them and steer them to the produce section. They needn’t go so far as to remove meats from their diets altogether. Reduction is sure to be the most effective strategy; going cold-turkey is unlikely and difficult for the majority of people whose primary access to food revolves around the purchase and consumption of animal products.
But let us remove the abrasiveness from our demands to stop eating animals. Call the people looking up healthy and gluten-free and low-fat recipes away from meats. Let them know quietly that the healthier option is more sustainable, easier and can also be delicious. We don’t have to get rid of meat, but we have to consume less. ♥