Effects+on+health+from+eating+meat


 * Name:** Michanne Furstenberg
 * Student Number:** N8610096
 * Tutor: **Jey Rodgers

__**Artefact**__



This artefact is another common cartoon, depicting a conversation between a gorilla and a fox concerning their different diets. While the fox, an omnivore, lives off a range of foods including meat, the gorilla on the other hand has a 98% plant based diet while the rest is made up of bugs and insects. The fox therefore questions the gorilla where he gets his source of protein from. This cartoon obviously has a humorous side to it as the gorilla is much bigger than the fox, yet it doesn't consume meat, showing the great paradox.

__**The Public Health Issue**__

People have become more aware of what foods they eat and the long term effects it has on their health. As a result, many people have started to change their eating habits by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. Statistics show that currently 8-10% of Australians classify themselves as vegetarians, and just over 2% are vegan. This has, and will continue to increase each year which shows a cultural change, resulting in a public health issue. Furthermore, studies have shown that recently, even meat eating Australians are preparing and consuming more plant based meals during the week than they did a couple of years ago ( De Bakker &Dagevos, 2012). This issue has also raised concern since diet is a heavy influencer on one’s long term health, which can potentially lead to diabetes, certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, which makes it a national health priority.

__**Literature Review**__

Historically, meat was seen as a more prestigious food, only eaten by those who could afford it, which were primarily upper class citizens. This cultural perception hasn't changed much since statistics show that wealthier countries, or countries with a greater income distribution, tend to be the highest consumers of meat. For example the Australian Food Statistics 2000 report (Australian Government, 2000) revealed that Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, France, Cyprus, Austria and the USA are currently at the top for buying meat (80kg p.a), while India, Iraq, Indonesia, Iran and the Philippines all consume under 20kgs of meat per year (Unnevehr & Khoju, 1991). Meat consumption has nearly doubled over the past few decades (1960’s to early 2003) and although Australians are some of the highest meat consumers, statistics show that the average meat consumption per person is starting to decrease (Daniel, Cross, Koebnick & Sinha, 2011). It can therefore be concluded that as income increases, so does meat consumption.

This also affects the type of meat, as good quality cuts will have more nutrients and therefore be more expensive. As a result those with lower incomes will not only consume less meat, but when they do, they will generally choose poorer quality cuts and consequently consume fewer nutrients (Huang, 1997). This definitely influences one’s health and can be detrimental.

Eating meat is an important part of following a healthy balanced diet. It has been shown that there are some nutrients (specifically in meat), if under consumed and not replaced, can negatively influence one’s health. Meat essentially provides the body with a range of fats, cholesterol (good and bad) and salts which aids in cellular function. The primary health benefit of meat is its high content of protein, and its positive affect on growth, muscle build-up and use of fuel for the body. Some of the amino acids cannot be made by the body and is therefore essential to be consumed through food sources, such as meat. Meats are important as they have a higher protein content than fruits or vegetables, and is easier to digest than other food sources. Furthermore, according to McAfee et al., (2010) specifically lean meat has shown to have low levels of saturated fatty acids and sodium which provide the nutritional benefits of meat while reducing the contribution of an increased fat intake.

Meat can also be seen as the primary source of iron, specifically red meat. This is because when food is consumed, the body will only absorb a certain amount of iron from the food source, which will be around 15% from fruits and vegetables, and a much higher percentage, around 25% from meat (Conrad & Umbreit, 2002). Iron is vitally important as just over 60% is in the blood, used to transport oxygen and other important nutrients to the rest of the body. This is especially needed during ‘growing’ stages, or when there is a sudden blood loss. As a result, it is important to consume meat for the protein and iron content, especially for Australians as studies by Arthur (2007) have shown that iron deficiencies are common. She specifically showed that there were deficiencies in 6% of children, 11% in pregnant women and 55% of men in indigenous communities showing the importance of consuming meat.

According to Williams (2007) there are several other important nutrients found in meat such as vitamin B12, creatine and zinc. Meat provides more than 20g of protein from 100g of meat which is just over half the recommended daily intake; more than two thirds of the daily requirement of B12, and just over half the recommended daily intake for zinc intake. Furthermore, it only provides around 3g of fat in relation to the recommended 70g intake. This amount is even smaller in lean meats such as chicken or fish.

The consumption of meat is an important issue throughout one’s life, as requirements for meat will fluctuate depending on the age, health status and activity levels of the individual. Consumption will be high during infancy and childhood as the body is continually growing and activity levels are high. During adolescents, meat consumption will increase as there will be a need for storage for the upcoming growth spurt, depending on males or females. For adults it is recommended to have around 2-3 serves of meet per week, which will stay constant until one reaches an older age where lean meats are more encouraged (Conrad & Umbreit 2002). This shows how meat consumption changes, which is important to consider as not eating enough meat, or eating too much during a certain stage in life can be detrimental. It is therefore critically important to have a balanced diet during the course of life as an over-consumption has been shown to potentially lead to certain diseases and cancers (Ferguson, 2010).

Red meat specifically has been linked to cardiovascular disease as a result of certain chemicals within the product that can potentially lead to the deposition of fatty build-up in the arteries (Li, Siriamornpun, Wahlqvist, Mann & Sinclair, 2005). This is called atherosclerosis and occurs when there is an excess of fatty deposits, or bad cholesterol. These fatty deposits will then form a plaque in the lining of artery, which can cause a rupture and consequently a heart attack, or stroke (Libby, & Theroux, 2005). Secondly, over consumption can also lead to certain cancers such as prostate, lung and bladder cancer however the most common (80% of cases) is bowel cancer (Ferguson, 2010). This is as a result of the fat and sodium content of meat, different preparation or cooking methods, and processed meats which have preservation chemicals. This can be avoided by trimming unnecessary fat, smaller portions, and choosing good quality cuts. Since meat consumption isn't purely driven by ethics, politics or environmental factors, there must be some social values and beliefs that effects and influences the individual’s view on eating meat.

__**Cultural and Social Analysis**__

This issue is not just a global issue, but specifically affects certain groups within the population. Today’s society has increasingly become more health aware, and cautious about what they eat, adopting the slogan “You are what you eat”. This shows an obvious cultural change towards nutrition and certain foods, especially meat, which as explained above, can heavily influence one’s health. Although demographics and economic factors have shown to effect the individual’s perception on consuming meat, studies have shown that social factors actually influence meat consumption the most. This is primarily explained by the theory of Bourdieu (1984) and his disposition on habitus. He investigates how cultural norms and tendencies are subconsciously created through an interplay of structures and free will, which guides an individual’s behaviour. Gender, class and religion have shown to influence meat consumption.

In relation to gender, research on food perception by Twigg (1979) explained that meat was seen at the top of a food hierarchy, representing dominance, superiority, power and masculinity. Vegetables and cereals on the other hand were at the bottom being viewed as ‘inferior’ foods with femininity attached to it. Statistics show that there are more females who consider themselves as vegetarians than males. Furthermore, despite physiological differences, males still consume more meat than females, supporting the idea that meat represents ‘masculinity’ while vegetables are seen as ‘feminine’, showing the influence of gender.

The study by Twigg (1979) made participants rate different foods and results showed that those wanting to increase their social status rated meat the highest and rejected vegetables and cereals. As explained before, income affects the amount and quality cuts of meat and therefore it will affect class. As a result the food patterns will be different for an upper class family eating rump steak for example in comparison to a lower class family eating pot roast. Specifically, occupations relate to this as well as those with labourer occupations have shown to eat more meat than those with a white collar job, concluding that class also influences meat consumption (Bourdieu, 1984).

Furthermore, a study by Allen, Gupta & Monnier (2008) supported Bourdieu’s disposition on habitus (1984) affecting meat consumption. Participants had to taste two unknown sausage rolls (one with beef and one vegetarian) and rate the tastiness. Results showed that those who supported control and authoritarianism rated their ‘beef’ option more tastier while those who chose the ‘vegetarian’ option to be more tastier valued peace and rejected human dominance, even when they were misinformed of the food content. Another heavy cultural influence on meat consumption is religion. There are a range of religions that prohibit certain types of meats, such as Jewish people not eating pork, or Indians seeing the cow as a sacred animal (Saunders, 2007). Since it has been shown that eating eat meat has certain beneficial health implications, it is important therefore to focus on individuals, or groups, who are not consuming enough. It has already been discussed that those who over consume meat can develop obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other cancers so the population issue is turned to vegetarians, vegans, religious groups and females.

Choosing not to consume meat is shown to be a personal choice that is influenced by the social trends and culture forces of having a healthy lifestyle and reducing their fat intake. However, it is important for them to be aware of their iron, vitamin B12 and protein intake as an under consumption can potentially be detrimental to one’s health. Since meat is the main carrier of these important nutrients, vegans and vegetarians especially need to consume a range of plant sources to make up for the loss through nuts and other foods and be thoroughly educated about this issue (Phillips, 2005). If they have a balanced diet, and consume enough ‘good’ fats, protein and iron then they will potentially avoid diseases such as coronary artery disease, obesity and cancer; a risk meat eaters face. These cultural factors of gender, class and religion, show how Bourdieu’s (1984) disposition on habitus influences individuals and social groups in relation to the consumption of meat.

__**Analysis of Artefact**__

The artefact discusses this big debate between meat eaters and vegetarians, questioning whether they get enough protein from an all plant, or no meat diet. It is a good case point as it shows how the gorilla, one of the strongest and biggest animals, lives mainly off plants yet still has a big muscular build which would be a result of a high protein diet, creating a paradox. It shows the common misconception of meat eaters, thinking that vegetarians or vegans won’t have an intake of protein as a result of not eating meat which is viewed as the highest protein food. It is important to consider that the gorilla consumes large amounts of these foods continually and therefore there is a sufficient protein intake. For vegetarians to have a balanced diet they should, as the gorilla, consume larger amounts of plant foods to make up for the loss of protein, while meat eaters need to watch their portion sizes and avoid over consumption.

I have personally learnt the influences social groups and other cultural forces have on my personal choices, values and beliefs and how that has shaped my way of thinking. I have become more aware of both the benefits and health effects of vegetarianism and consuming meat. It has also furthered my knowledge on the potential risk factors of over or under consuming meat, such as anaemia, or obesity and cancers, which I was unaware of beforehand. I also learnt more about the ethics involved, however this was not the focus of my study. Finally, I have become more health aware and realised how to adapt my lifestyle and diet to have a sufficient intake of protein and iron, however avoid over consumption. This all though has taught me that other factors heavily influence my personal choice and often made me wonder whether what I believe was my thoughts at all.

__**Reflection**__

Reflection 1: http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/The+Truth+is+Hard+to+Swallow

Reflection 2: http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/The+R+Word+-+Rape+%26+Rape+Culture

__**References**__ Allen, M. W., Gupta, R., & Monnier, A. (2008). The interactive effect of cultural symbols and human values on taste evaluation. //The Journal of Consumer Research, 35//(2), 294-308. Retrieved on 31st October 2013 from [].

Arthur, R. (2007). Iron. //Journal of Complementary Medicine,6//(3), 36-36. Retrieved on 4th October 2013 from __http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=672593770720410;res=IELHEA__

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

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