Talking about eating less red and processed meat provokes strong feelings. That’s why this new evidence-based report is welcome

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 19:19:40 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/talking-about-eating-less-red-and-processed-meat-provokes-strong-feelings-thats-why-this-new-evidence-based-report-is-welcome-209234>

"Emotions can run high when the topic of how much red and processed meat to eat
is raised. For many of us, eating these foods is culturally important – often
tied to specific dishes and traditions.

That’s why this week’s landmark new report from the World Health Organization
(WHO) is welcome. The report focuses explicitly on what the science says about
how red and processed meat affects our health – and the health of the
ecosystems on which we depend.

What does it say? Moderation is important. In high-income countries, we tend to
eat too much red meat, which boosts the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
We should treat processed meat, such as salami, with even greater caution, as
the link to cancer risk is even clearer.

If you want a quick take-home, it’s this: eat less red meat, avoid processed
meat and choose meat farmed under better conditions. But this is not always
easy or affordable for everyone. So most importantly, we need changes to the
policies that affect how our food systems operate so that our well-being and
the health of the planet are prioritised."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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