In Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 movie, Super Size Me, the filmmaker focused on how fast food and obesity worked together to create a national epidemic of health and weight concerns. Although it’s no secret that fat laden and greasy hamburgers, french fries, other fried foods and fatty dressings are the staples of America’s fast food empire, is it possible that a diet and fitness program that entails lowering red meat and poultry intake and simply increasing physical activity will contribute to both weight loss and improvements to the environment?
There’s overwhelming evidence that eating less red meat and more fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of disease. It has been documented that many people living in Mediterranean area countries typically live longer than other Europeans. This may be because of their eating habits and what is known in some circles as the ‘Sonoma Diet.’ This way of eating includes eating higher amounts of potatoes, breads, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. Another staple of this diet is high amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fats (from a fish like Salmon or walnuts). Furthermore, the ‘Sonoma Diet’ calls for using olive oil in lieu of synthetic vegetable oils that are major contributors to heart disease.
Consider that in addition to the health benefits of eliminating red meat, there can also be an environmental benefit as well. Raising animals for food consumes tremendous quantities of fuel, pesticides, land, fertilizers and water. In 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), commented that if the rest of the world had the same appetite for meat as Westerner’s, we would quickly run out of land and irrigation water. A 1997 BioScience article documented that the amount of water necessary to produce crops like potatoes, corn, wheat and soy beans, was negligible compared to the nearly 18,000 gallons of rain and irrigation water needed produce a pound of beef. In the U.S., raising livestock and irrigating our crops uses approximately half of all the freshwater we use. If this number seems high, consider that it takes more than 7 pounds of grain to put a pound of weight on cattle in feedlots. Since much of this weight gain in cattle goes into bone and organ gains, it actually takes more feed to result in a pound of beef.
Additionally, one should recognize the harm caused by excess use of fertilizers. CSPI documented that so much fertilizer from Midwestern corn farms has been washed down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico over the years, that coastal Gulf areas now have a poorly oxygenated “dead zone” where bottom dwelling sea life cannot survive.
We should also consider the impact of beef on global warming and production of greenhouse gases. A few years ago, some University of Chicago researchers estimated that every American who eats a typical diet consisting of red meat, instead of an all-plant diet, actually contribute as much greenhouse gases as if he or she were driving an SUV instead of a less polluting car like a Camry. These researchers estimated that if every American switched to an all plant diet, 430 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be produced annually. It may be only 6% of the United State’s emissions, but it’s a start.
So how does one start such a diet to not only make a difference in their health, but also improve the environment? Understand that red meat, eggs and dairy products are among the biggest sources of cholesterol and saturated fat, which contribute towards heart disease. Some have estimated that eliminating meat, diary, poultry and eggs from our diets could save more than 60,000 lives per year. To take it one step further, eating plant foods rich with vitamins, minerals and fiber (all absent form animal foods) could potentially save thousands more lives. If you’re panicking because you won’t ever be able to have the hamburger you love, stop. From a health perspective, it’s not necessary to become a strict vegetarian. Limiting your intake to an occasional cheeseburger (choose extra, extra lean ground beef), let alone a serving of grilled boneless and skinless chicken, is not a bad thing. If you’re going to remain an omnivore, like I have decided to, look for the lowest fat versions of meat and dairy foods. When you can, buy locally grown foods. One step further is to buy organically grown food because it’s better for the environment.
Dan & Lynne Lyne are contributors to online health and fitness [http://nutrition-fitness-tips.com/] resources. Lynne is a registered dietian.
