Meat Controversy: What do students think!?

Whats+the+beef%3F+

What’s the beef?

“You know, I have heard about this before, and it honestly doesn’t surprise me,” says 8th grader Michael Pellegrino. He is talking about a new study that claims meat can be bad for you. A lot of students at Englewood High school had heard that before, But it is surprising to a lot of people who just found out that about 2% of hot dog meat sampled by Clear Foods contains human DNA. “I’m really not too surprised. But Hey, it’s good, so it doesn’t stop me!” says Kristy Martinez (12).

That’s not the only controversy surrounding meat recently.

The World Health Organization has said its team of experts has found that processed meats cause cancer.

Say it ain’t so! Are hot dogs really that bad for you? And bacon? You can’t possibly mean bacon? Yep! All of it, eaten in the large quantities we consume in America. The WHO says red meats including beef, pork, veal and lamb are “probably carcinogenic” to people.

An article published in The Lancet takes a closer look at the evidence. It says a group of 22 scientists reviewed the evidence linking red meat and processed meat consumption to cancer, and concluded that eating processed meats regularly increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

How much is too much? The report finds that as little as two slices of bacon a day can increase the risk of bowel cancer by 18%.

Speaking to CNN, the meat industry had a few things to say, “The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the scientists who issued the report were split on their decision to make an explicit link between red meat with cancer.

“As a registered dietitian and mother, my advice hasn’t changed,” said Shalene McNeill, an executive director at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “To improve all aspects of your health, eat a balanced diet, which includes lean meats like beef, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and, please, don’t smoke.”

If you want more information, check out the links below:

www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2015/processed-meat-cancer/en/

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/26/report-human-dna-found-hot-dogs/74617102/