The+matrix+of+where+we+believe+our+food+is+coming+from

Name: Donna Coran Student Number: 8575967 Tutor: Judith Meiklejohn




 * __Cultural Artefact__**

This cultural artefact is a cartoon retrieved from the internet which is representative of the topic being discussed in this wiki. It shows one family who eat a lot of meat and another family who eat less or no meat. It demonstrates simply, the detrimental effects on our health from over-consumption of meat and suggests possible health benefits from eating less meat.


 * __Public Health Issue__**

The core public health issue being discussed in this wiki and which the cultural artefact represents is the over-consumption of meat in Australia and the effects it is having on our health. ChartsBin Statistics Collector Team. (2013). //Current worldwide annual meat consumption per// //capita//. Retrieved from http://chartsbin.com/view/127307

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. (2012). //Current annual meat consumption per capita//, Livestock and Fish Primary Equivalent. Retrieved from http://faostat.fao.org/site/610/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=610#anchor

As demonstrated by the above diagram, Australians are one of the highest consumers of meat in the world. To put it simply – Australians are over-consuming meat, putting ourselves at risk of things like illness, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity; and let’s not ignore the fact that this excess meat also tends to replace much needed food groups like vegetables, with only 8.3% of Australian adults meeting their recommended intake of vegetables (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2011). This issue is important to address as overweight and obesity are particularly prevalent in Australian society with 63.4% of adults deemed overweight or obese in 20011-12 (ABS, 2011). Heart disease was the leading cause of death in Australia in 2011 and has been since year 2000 (ABS, 2011). Considering it is closely followed by diabetes and colon cancer which also make the top 10 of leading causes of mortality (ABS, 2011),it appears that this over-consumption of meat warrants attention. There are many factors underpinning this public health issue and will be discussed further throughout the wiki.


 * __Literature Review__**[[image:healthcultureandsociety2013/wiki pic 2.jpg align="right"]]

There is a substantial amount of evidence supporting lean red meat for health as meat contains a ‘complete protein’ and provides iron in the most bioavailable form. However, with over-consumption there are adverse effects. Red meat in particular has been linked to cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. However the evidence isn’t strong as there are inconsistencies and limitations in studies. Perhaps because there are many things that need to be considered such as the quality, quantity, individual risk and also cooking method as charring of meat during cooking has been linked with cancer (Tabatabaei et al., 2011). Although, national guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) recommend consumption of no more than 455g of cooked lean red meat per week as regular consumption of large quantities may be associated with an increased risk of colo-rectal cancer. Worryingly when compared to statistics on our consumption – men are consuming almost double this recommendation, consuming around 875g per week (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 2013) and that is just red meat alone not taking into account things like processed meat. Statistics from AIHW show too that consumption of processed meats like bacon and ham has risen over the past several decades. This is concerning as nitrates in processed meat have been linked to cancer (Demeyer & Desmet, 2010). An over-abundance of animal source foods increases cholesterol and fat in the diet which contributes to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and type-2 diabetes. Eating meat in excess may also place a risk for developing osteoporosis (Prentice, 2004) as iron and calcium compete for absorption. Excess protein in the diet (which can easily be attained from excess meat) can cause dehydration from urea excretion and can have an effect on kidney disease as kidneys excrete end products of protein metabolism.



There are valid concerns regarding diseased meat which can ultimately lead to viral pandemics as we have seen in the past with things like mad cow disease, bird flu, swine flu etc. (Smil, 2013). Other factors to consider regarding our health when eating meat, particularly in excess are things like colorants and reducing chemicals which can be used to better the appearance of meat to look fresher for longer. Also additives/enzymes which take part in blood clotting, added to meat cuts or minced meat to form portions of desired mass and shape (Ballin, 2010).

There are also concerns regarding antibiotic resistance in animal bacteria and the influence of this resistance on human health (Gustafson, 1991). It has become apparent that the effect of antibiotics is diminishing due to overuse and misuse of the drugs in food animal production (PEW, 2012),consequently antibiotic-resistant bacteria can trigger foodborne illnesses and infections which are hard to treat. This leads to the question why is this occurring? The answer – Low doses of antibiotics make farm animals grow slightly faster on less feed, but at the risk of encouraging some bacteria to develop resistance to the drugs and those resistant genes can then make their way into the meat we eat and then into our bodies. Then, infections may withstand drugs alike those used on the farm (Ferber, 2003). The worry is that infections in humans and animals could become untreatable (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), 2011). Foodborne diseases cost Australian society around $1.2 billion a year (AIHW, 2010)this reiterates the importance of this issue. This problem is not a new one though with the World Health Organisation recommending putting a stop to these growth promoters since 1997 due to a spread of antibiotic resistance (Ferber, 2003). The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is the national regulator of pesticides and veterinary medicines and assesses the animal antibiotics proposed for sale in Australia and determines their use. Taking a more conservative approach than some other countries, in Australia antibiotics are supposed to be used to treat infected animals or animals that are risk of infection. However antibiotics which are considered low risk to human health are still allowed to be administered in low concentrations through feed or water to increase animals’ weight gain or to prevent disease – and are generally used without veterinary intervention!(APVMA, 2011). Even though Australia has lower levels of resistance than many other countries, as mentioned later in this wiki – it could come as a surprise to learn that when we eat fast food for instance, a lot of the time we don’t really know where our meat is coming from. This focus on the ‘bottom dollar’ seems to take precedence over our health and the more we are consuming the higher the risk we could be putting ourselves at.

Humane educator James Wildman explains in a YouTube video (n.d.) that our diet is a learned behaviour and is based on our cultural story. Every culture has a story… who is the author? When we think Australian culture in relation to food, all we have to do is think to Australia day and we think big Aussie barbeque not with a ‘shrimp on the barbie’ but with snags, steaks and burgers; or a major sporting event – meat pies, sausage rolls and so forth. In trying to gather how and why society and culture are so important to consider in relation to this public health issue of the over-consumption of meat and the consequences to our health, we can start off with social theory. A little ‘Marxism’ can be applied with globalisation and the role advertising and the market play in generating health-related problems within society. Weber’s theory can also help us further understand our controlled consuming of products through our rationalised systems such as school, work, home, hospitals, recreation etc. However the most dominate social theory relating to this issue is George Ritzer’s ‘McDonaldisation’. This theory explains how it is all about efficiency, calculability, predictability and control, in this case - in the food industry today. It’s about the industry using the cheapest way to deliver services, consumers using the best available to way to get from hungry to full and on both parts it tends to be more about quantification and cost rather than quality. There are some advantages of this way of life as food becomes more economical, there is a greater availability and convenience and with control comes a reduced risk of food poisoning. The disadvantages however, it promotes over-consumption and related health problems, produces a poorer quality of food and also removes the physical activity from getting and preparing food. It has been said that one reason people eat so much meat is because of the meat being priced below the true cost of production as consequence of things like the promotion of mass production, which governments play a role (Boyle, 2012). Although if the retail price was increased the consumption may decrease but it is probable that the sales of cheap fast foods would just increase not helping to fix the issue at hand. The principles of the fast food industry are becoming more and more dominant around the world (Nichols, 1994). The effects of fast food and the fast food mentality are seeing antibiotic resistance, reduced life expectancy and sky-rocketing rates of obesity which in turn have caused massive increases in asthma, heart disease and diabetes (Schlosser, 2004). Majority of the cheap fast food businesses have a central focus around meat i.e. Red Rooster - chicken, KFC – chicken, McDonalds and Hungry Jacks – burgers, Dominos and Pizza hut – fatty/processed meat loaded pizzas. This together with misleading advertisements proves fixing this problem difficult. The two macronutrients supplied by meat are lipids and high quality protein. These macronutrients were quite scarce back in traditional agricultures as there was a lack of milking animals and they had little access to aquatic species (Smil, 2013) hence the importance of meat in the diet back then. In the present we have access to seafood, eggs and dairy products which contain high quality protein therefore do not need to be eating so much meat. In a national nutrition survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1996), more than 90% of Australians in most age by sex groups exceeded their recommended dietary intake for protein and this has likely increased since then due to the relative increase in overweight and obesity. When it comes to meat we can have ‘too much of a good thing’. What is really underpinning our over-consumption? If protein is the reasoning placed on eating the amount of meat we are, doesn’t it seem contradictory? If we were so concerned with our health and nutrient intake, then why are we under-consuming important foods like vegetables and compromising our vital nutrients from these foods? This leads to the belief that there is more to it than that. It is interesting to note that women need considerably more iron than men but it is men that are consuming a lot more than women. There seems to be this socially constructed idea that meat is masculine and that men need to eat more meat to be strong and manly. Men tend to have this view that a meal without meat is not considered a ‘real meal’ as it is not strong and hearty (Ruby & Heine, 2011). This all seems to be reinforced by advertisements using meat to masculinise products so as to appeal to male consumers.
 * __Cultural and Social Analysis__**



There have been studies confirming our perceptions of vegetarians as less masculine than omnivores (Ruby & Heine, 2011). This may date back to times where meat was associated with power and privilege and during war when meat was redirected from civilian women to men at war (Ruby & Heine, 2011). According to Ruby and Heine (2011), there is history of Western European, African and Asian cultures associating meat with manhood and power with meat symbolising patriarchy. Perhaps these traditions have evolved with our culture today.





Awareness of this issue is important because evidently there is the need to lower chronic disease and improve our health. Unless there is awareness people may be unaware of the risk they are placing on their health when eating a lot of meat. It has been shown that social norms can change, especially when the idea is evidence-based and powerful and society is exposed to it long enough (Boyle, 2012). There are depending factors such as the consumers perception of how necessary meat is, the substitutes available and their knowledge of how to cook plant-based meals. Both supply-related improvements to production and demand-related improvements to consumption are needed to tackle this problem. There have been international movements such as Meatless Monday (in more than 30 countries) which public health experts could focus on trying to implement in Australia. There is the option of introducing policies to reduce meat in our rationalised systems. Also exposing children and adolescents to plant-based meals and meat- free cooking as part of the school curriculum may be a good idea, to expose kids from a young age to cooking and eating without meat and hopefully this will then be seen as ‘normal’.

The cultural artefact represents many aspects of the public health issue in topic. Firstly it shows the conception which many people have that meat (generally a lot) is required in order to obtain protein and be healthy which is simply not the case. Secondly it reveals that although we may think we are doing ourselves good by eating meat, in actual fact we may be causing harm to our health and wellbeing and imposing this on our family or peers whom we have influence on. The third representation this cartoon displays is the social dynamics which play a major role in this public health issue. In this case there are two families. There is a lot of social pressure placed on what we eat in our home life and social life, for example the children in the cartoon are most likely eating what they are given by their parents. Whoever does the cooking at home or buys the food will depict what the rest of the family eat. this stems back to the culturally learned behaviour mentioned previously. This point I relate to personally, as I would eat far less meat if I didn’t have others tastes and preferences to consider when preparing meals. Hence I can relate to this social pressure. I think this makes a good point that there needs to be more awareness out there in society so people can start thinking about and considering eating less meat and understand the reasoning behind it and then we can attempt to tackle this issue. I have gained a much deeper understanding and insight into this public health issue which has got me thinking twice whenever I eat a meat-based meal. I can comprehend how easy it is to underestimate the amount of meat we actually consume. I have a greater awareness now of my food choices and the things I am subjecting myself to when making these choices and I hope to help others gain awareness also and make a conscious effort to eat less meat.
 * __Analysis of Artefact/Learning Reflections__**



**__References __**

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1995). National nutrition survey: nutrient intakes and physical measurements, Australia, 1995. Retrieved from www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4805.0

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Causes of death, Australia, 2011. Retrieved from www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3303.0Chapter42011

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2010). Australia’s health 2010. Retrieved from www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442452962

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2013). Existing measures for food and nutrition monitoring in Australia. Retrieved from www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459729

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. (2011). How is the use of antibiotics controlled in farming?. Retrieved from www.apvma.gov.au/news_media/community/2011-02_antibiotics_farming.php

Ballin, N.Z. (2010). Authentication of meat and meat products. //Meat Science, 86// (3), 577-587. doi: 10.10161j.meatsci.2010.06.001

Boyle, E. (2012). //High steaks: why and how to eat less meat// [EBL version]. Retrieved from http://qut.eblib.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=895059&echo=1&uuseri=OH6mNtvOuyW4mAJgxxiJSA%3d%3d&tstamp=1380152215&id=5DBD63332866C92A6C10F8A64C9DDB2DE6DC2123

Demeyer, D.I., & Desmet, S. (2010). The recommendation to limit or avoid consumption of processed meat is justified because of the association with the incidence of colorectal cancer and justifies the use of alternatives for nitrite in meat processing. //Nitric Oxide, 23// (2), 150-51. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2010.05.001

Ferber, D. (2003). WHO advises kicking the livestock antibiotic habit. //Science, New Series, 301// (5636), 1027. Retrieved from www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/3834950

Gustafson, R.H. (1991). Use of antibiotics in livestock and human health concerns. //Journal of Dairy Science, 74// (4), 1428-32. doi: 10.3168/jds.50022-0302(91)78299-4

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Eat for health educator guide. Retrieved from www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55b_educator_guide_130709.pdf

Nichols, T. (1994). Book reviews. //Sociology, 28//, 322-24. doi: 10.1177/0038038594028001029

Prentice, A. (2004). Diet, nutrition and the prevention of osteoporosis. //Public Health Nutrition, 7// (1a), 227-243. doi: 10.1079/PHN2003590

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Ruby, M.B., & Heine, S.J. (2011). Meat, morals, and masculinity. //Appetite, 56// (2), 447-450. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.01.018

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Schlosser, E. (2004). Fast food nation. //The Ecologist, 34//, 40-41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/234922986/abstract?accountid=13380

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smil, V. (2013). //Should we eat meat evolution and consequences of modern carnivory// [EBL version]. Retrieved from http://onesearch.slq.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dldisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docid=slq_voyager1563284

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Tabatabaei, S.M., Fritschi, L., Knuiman, M.W., Boyle, T., Iacopetta, B.J, Platell, C., & Heyworth, J.S. (2011). Meat consumption and cooking practices and the risk of colorectal cancer. //European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65// (6), 668-75. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.17

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. (n.d.). //101 reasons to go vegan// [Video file]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-F8whzJFJY

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The PEW Charitable Trusts. (2012). PEW campaign on human health and industrial farming. Retrieved from www.pewhealth.org/projects/pew-campaign-on-human-health-and-industrial-farming-85899367226

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">__**Reflection**__

http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/Agony+to+Ecstasy http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/Angel%27s+Among+Us.+Geography%27s+affect+on+morbidity+and+mortality.