If you were told that if you were to stop eating meat today, you would live a healthier, longer life and be saving the planet at the same time, would you do it? Could you resist that delicious sizzling bacon? Or a juicy burger fresh of the grill in exchange for your overall health and the wellbeing of this planet?
I am here to inform you of some information that has been available to humans for years. How limiting the amount of meat you consume will add years to your life and improve our environment.
As a growing young adult, the future generation needs to know what we are consuming daily to have a sustainable future. I have been a vegetarian for about three years now. I have researched the meat industry and its impacts on the environment and the human body to a great extent these past two years, learning more and more each deep dive I take. Through this piece, I will be making my case for a more fruit and vegetable lifestyle by highlighting the negative effects eating meat has on the body and environment, explaining simple steps to cutting it out of your diet, and illustrating what could happen if nothing changes.
To begin with, there is a physical need to lessen the overall consumption of meat. The American Heart Association states that roughly 17.3 million people die every year from cardiovascular diseases (Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – At-a-Glance).
Here's an example to put some numbers in perspective. Let's say there is a jumbo jet filled with 500 people and four jumbo jets crash into each other, killing everyone, now that 2,000 people. Let's say these crashes killing 2,000 people are happening every hour of the day, every day of a year. That's 48,000 people dying a day and equally roughly 17.5 million people dying every year. If this were happening, wouldn't people be taking preventable steps to stop it? This solution is easy, just don't fly on these jumbo jets, and you won't die. Similarly, if you cut out meat, your chances of being a part of that real number of 17.3 million people who die from cardiovascular diseases goes down exponentially.
One of the leading causes of heart disease is high cholesterol levels. Foods with high cholesterol can be found in most meats, specifically beef, according to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Smith). Therefore when you eat meat, your chances of getting chronic diseases such as heart disease increase. One Green Pant organization explains that a single American consume roughly 209 pounds of meat per year. To produce one hamburger, about a quarter of a pound, the fossil fuel emissions are equivalent to driving 20 miles. Multiplying that quarter pound by four to produce one pound of meat, the fossil fuels emitted is equivalent to driving 80 miles. On average, if Americans consume 209 pounds per year, then the annual fossil fuels emitted per person is equivalent to driving 16,720 miles. Let's say just five people decide to cut meat out of their diet; that's five more people who will not be consuming 209 pounds of meat per year, equating to 1,045 pounds of meat, therefore cutting back on fossil fuel emissions which cause global warming.
Knowing the negative impacts of eating meat on your body and the environment, you can combat this growing problem. A simple solution would be just to stop eating meat entirely and never look back. However, I know that it can be hard to part with for many of us who have grown up eating meat. A more realistic solution is to be more aware of how much meat you consume daily and then lessen it. A simple way to do this is to record everything you eat in a notebook. By physically writing down and seeing what you are eating daily you can be more accountable for your diet. Most Americans eat 1.5 times the recommended protein intake, says John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Smith). Being more conscious about what you are eating will allow individuals to see that you may not need to eat large quantities of meat for every meal to satisfy your nutritional needs.
One concern with cutting meat out of your diet is being able to afford to do so. Meat is cheap and covenant to purchase. As a broke college student who is vegetarian, I can say that this idea that you need to be wealthy to be healthy is overblown. Sure, if you get all-organic, gluten-free, non-GMO products, those can add up. But buying basic necessities such as fruits and vegetables can be a lot cheaper than meat products overall.
But what if nothing changes? Imagine being in your late forties getting diagnosed with heart disease because you hadn't been paying attention that you were consuming above the recommended amount of meat proteins and too much high cholesterol foods throughout your young adult life. Also, take into account a future where more land areas will need to be cleared for livestock to feed a growing population, causing more of an increase in climate change, which can ultimately change life as we know it on Earth.
Is that the kind of life we want to be responsible for creating for future generations? A life where our health and environment are put off until we are forced to deal with them as serious issues? We need to be the change and set a new standard for meat consumption today.
To conclude, we must begin to be conscious of what we eat before it is too late. The next time you are ordering or preparing a meal, try remembering to write is done and reflect on how much meat you really need for a nutritional diet. I'm not asking you to stop eating meat altogether, but the less and less of it that you eat daily does make a difference in the long run. By being a vegetarian for a year and a half now, I am eliminating my meat intake completely, and I regularly write down my meals to ensure I am accountable for what I am putting into my body.
When I first started being vegetarian, I read Dr. Michael Greger's New York Times Bestseller How Not to Die. The book had a real impact on me and helped me when I first started being vegetarian. I'll leave you with this quote from Dr. Michael Greger, "We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it - because they do."
Works Cited
Good, Kate. “Explain Like I'm 5: How Fossil Fuels Are Used to Produce Meat.” Onegreenplanet.org, One Green Planet, 29 Oct. 2018, www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/how-fossil-fuels-are-used-to-produce-meat/.
“Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – At-a-Glance.” Heart.org, American Heart Association, 17 Dec. 2014, www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamahpublic/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_470704.pdf.
“Michael Greger Quote.” Azquotes.com, AZ Quotes, www.azquotes.com/quote/1142565.
Smith, Mike. “Health & Environmental Implications of U.S. Meat Consumption & Production.” Jhsph.edu, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 8 Oct. 2013, www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-alivablefuture/projects/meatless_monday/resources/meat_consumption.html.