I’m willing to say I’m pretty educated when it comes to food. That being said, I wasn’t really shocked or startled by the documentary Food, Inc. I thought it was an educational, potentially eye-opening movie for many ,many people, but it didn’t knock me off my feet.
It did get me thinking though. The one part that really hit home for me was when they showed the chicken growing exponentially. These days, chickens grow much bigger, much faster= and with specific larger body parts ( i.e. breasts).
How exactly are they making this happen? For a human to grow bigger, faster, you inject them with growth hormone & steroids. To get bigger boobs without plastic parts you need more of certain hormones. I could hardly imagine it would be a much different process for the chickens.
Now I was curious. I needed to learn more. So I started reading. and reading. and reading.
I started noticing the same things over and over again. Not all of the information was new to me, I was just understanding it in a different way this time. Ignore the whole for-the-love-of-animals part of not eating meat for a minute- I’m talking about understanding the implications that producing more food faster has on our bodies, the animals, and the planet. It’s bigger than “puppies are cute, so I won’t eat cows”. It’s about mass production increasing disease, inducing poor treatment, affecting farmers economically– at what cost?
These are some of the things that have been rolling around in my head. I am NOT preaching about them. We’re just talking. No judging. Just sharing information, thoughts, opinions. It’s a HUGE topic, so I’m not throwing it out there all at once. But here’s the summary of how I feel:
- The effect mass production of meat has on increasing disease bothers me.
- The chemicals being put into animals & what they are being fed and therefore what people are eating bothers me.
- The fact that food travels literally 1,000s of miles to get somewhere it doesn’t grow in a season it would never survive bothers me.
So why did I need to give you all that background of why I eat what I eat just to tell you this? It’s because these things have encouraged me to look at what I eat beyond it’s taste & nutrition. I’m not saying I’m going vegan and committing to a life of local foods. I am saying that I want to be more conscious. What am I really eating? Where did it come from, and what did it take to get it in my hands?
Whether I reduce my meat/dairy/eggs intake, I don’t know. But that’s why you needed the background. I’m not comfortable with labels, or all or nothing. I am comfortable with learning more and being more aware. Even if I decide fish is “bad”, that doesn’t mean I might not eat it if I go to a restaurant. Or maybe I’ll learn something horrible about eggs or milk. I’ll bet you I’ll probably still eat a cupcake . Does that make me a hypocrit? Not in my eyes, although I can understand why some might think otherwise.
Reduction still makes a difference. Just because someone eats one donut doesn’t mean they’ll get fat. And not eating 1000 donuts just because you might have 1 donut sometime, will still help you be healthy. I know it’s not the same, but I can’t really come up with a better analogy.
It’s like Earth Day yesterday- yes, that one plastic bag you don’t use at the grocery store does make a difference.
So here’s where I stand: I’m pretty sure I’ve decided to cut back what little meat I do eat, along with eggs, milk, cheese, and other dairy.
You might have noticed I didn’t say I’m becoming a vegan. My intention to remain label-less is deliberate. If you don’t have a label, or rules, you’re not breaking them, and you’re not being hypocritical.
I believe that even reducing my intake makes a significant difference, and it gives me the chance to learn more—without it being overwhelming.
I’ll share more about some of the things I’ve read & specific issues/questions I’ve come across, but I thought it was more important to put the background out there first.
What have you come across that has influenced you’re eating behavior?
{ 5 comments… read them below or chime in }
Food Inc. was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of my going vegetarian. It was something I’d been thinking about for a long, long time, and that movie just kind of pushed me over the edge, even though, like you, the information didn’t shock me or even surprise me. I definitely believe that just reducing makes a big difference– that’s my own approach with dairy and eggs, which I’m not willing to give up at this point.
Lots of news about the food industry, how animals are treated, an increased concern for the environment, NoMeatAthlete, and influence from the professors on my campus have all contributed to the way I think about food and the decisions I make about it.
The book, “The China Study” made me dramatically change my eating habits. Talks a lot about the health implications of the Western diet, using the genetically homogeneous population in various parts of China as a control (where some eat the same diet we do, others do not, and the various health problems that appear in each demographic).
My decision was made for purely selfish reasons (my own health) and not for animal rights reasons. But, the more I learn, the more satisfied I am with my decisions, on all levels and not just my selfish ones.
I just watched Food Inc on Wednesday night for the first time. I had avoided seeing it initially, thinking “I’m a Dietitian, I know the goings-on of BIG food companies and I know what they do isn’t right”. Well, I didn’t know it ALL (Shocker
), and I still don’t, but I completely agree with you – it is So SO important to at least be educated. I can honestly say, after watching that movie, I will NEVER buy non-organic meats again. And, to be more honest, at this point I’m not sure I’ll ever eat meat again. I don’t like the label of “Vegetarian”, but I have cut back on my meat intake (which was mostly chicken, rarely a a steak, and even more rarely anything “ground”) in the last month or so (initially in interest of seeing what a more veggie-heavy diet was like) and I have really enjoyed it. I feel healthier with what I eat, buy, etc. I do find it a challenge to get enough protein, as I can’t drink regular milk, and am still trying to *enjoy* greek yogurt. 
But, it is possible!
Anyway, I’m glad you’ve posted your thoughts on this. It doesn’t happen often enough, and you’re very right – small changes make a difference!
I don’t eat chicken/beef/pork for many of the same reasons. I worked in the infectious diseases department as an undergraduate, and couldn’t imagine contributing to antibiotic resistant diseases through my meat consumption, or having other people kill an animal that I’m unwilling to kill myself. Additionally, I personally would not use land to produce meat when it could produce more food without meat, and waste fewer resources.
But to each their own. I’ve made my choice and respect others’ decisions. I just plead with people to do what they believe.