In response to blogdog's post:<------(link)
What is most discouraging about this topic is the fact that two thirds of the crops shipped abroad are to feed livestock, not the hungry people in the world. Roughly fifty percent of the grains we grow in the country are used to feed our livestock, because of America's obsession with the meat-based diet. I'll quote Howard F. Lyman, author of Mad Cowboy, because I can't say it better myself:
"Producing beef is incredibly inefficient. According to Frances Moore Lapp, "It takes sixteen pounds of grain to create one pound of beef." (Diet for a Small Planet) The same amount of grain needed to produce one pound of meat could feed thirty-two people a day if they ate the grain directly. As our population grows we will basically face the choice of whether to continue feeding our corn, soybeans, oats, barley and wheat to animals, while letting untold millions go hungry, or else to eat our grains directly and have many times as much food available for human consumption."
As our Westernized and meat-based diet catches on in affluent families overseas, such as China, there is inevitably a rise in health problems within those communities, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.
"If stress itself were really a leading cause of heart attacks, surely the number of heart attacks would have risen dramatically during World War 2. But in fact, the death rate from heart attacks fell, as people in war ravaged countries were forced by circumstances to eat less rich, high fat, cholesterol laden foods. in other words, it's demonstrably better for your heart to eat a low fat, vegetarian diet while bombs drop all around you than to enjoy your steak in peace." (Lyman)
3 comments:
It is unfortunate however, that grain does not provide the right proteins for an omnivorous body to survive. Nor would such a massive diet of grain be healthy.
Actually, living off of a diet of legumes, grains and vegetables is extremely healthy. I definitely don't have an omnivorous body. I have been Vegetarian for 11 years without any health problems. You can find all the protein and vitamins you need within a flesh-free diet. But the meat and dairy industry will do whatever they can to convince you that you need their product. Sounds like they're doing a good job.
I'm not a vegetarian, but also not a big meat eater either. I never really considered the information you provided regarding how much it takes to raise cattle. I was already eating (and serving to my family)less beef after the news about the beef manufacturers who were abusing the animals and also using ill animals in the food supply. Scary stuff.
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