http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-red-meat-20120313,0,565423.story


Eating red meat — any amount and any type — appears to significantly increase the risk of premature death, according to a long-range study that examined the eating habits and health of more than 110,000 adults for more than 20 years.


I know Paleo is pretty popular around here, although it seems like people here do it more sensibly than some of the people I know who do it, but this sounds all kinds of bad.

Good.

Who's got my burger?
-Gorgonzola, lettuce, red onion, hold the tomatoes.

Here is a nice rebuttal - http://www.selfnourish.com/wordpress/?p=105

I mean, these people eating red meat, every day of the study, are they eating mcdonalds? If so, kinda biased statement to lump in all red meat. Was this funded by peta? Also, I am not convinced that chicken or turkey are any better.

They clearly distinguish between processed and unprocessed meats in the study. They also aren't saying that people who eat meat every day and people who only very occasionally eat meat have the same risk level--higher amounts of meat eaten have a higher risk. What they are saying that even an absolutely minimal amount of meat can cause harm. 110,000 people is kind of an enormous population sample.

Edited by tekhna on 03/12/2012 21:43:00 MDT.

This belongs in Chaff.

Mmmmm. Meat.

Seriously though. What isn't killing us?

Bacon!

And the Paleo's say...What?

Water is killing us. 100% of those who drink water die.

This thread is killing me. Think I'll go have some red water.

And the Paleo's say...What?

No idea; haven't read the study yet. I can repeat the standard disclaimers if you like, it's the usual blurbs about confounding factors, study design, etc.

I don't care. The 12 oz. filet I had tonight bordered on mythical.

Maybe it's worth reminding everyone that we've been dying since the day we were born! So, my goal is to live both long enough and happy enough. Umm, please throw another slab on the barbie for me will ya? Oh, and more shrimp please.

Just hike it off.

Is grass fed beef the same as your typical corn fed beef?

To the OP: Bullsh#*t!

I love these kinds of discussion threads because they exhibit one of the most interesting psychological traits that people show: confirmation bias. Basically, when people have a belief, they tend to accept evidence that supports their belief, but they reject evidence that contradicts it. So, folks who think that eating meat is okay find reasons to think that this study is BS.

Sadly, this is the same reasoning that allows people to believe all sorts of demonstrably untrue things: that Obama is a Muslim, that 9/11 was an inside job, that Iraq had WMDs.

I like to live by Bill Maher's words: "Science is made by scientists, not idiots."

Edited by sschloss1 on 03/13/2012 07:43:24 MDT.

" Basically, when people have a belief, they tend to accept evidence that supports their belief, but they reject evidence that contradicts it. So, folks who think that eating meat is okay find reasons to think that this study is BS."

True on both sides of this.

I don't totally understand the intense cognitive dissonance surrounding meat. Just as an example, Joe, you list in your about me wanting to avoid a heart attack, and then cheerfully boast of huge slabs of meat; meat that we've known for a long time will give you hear disease. I wonder why people do this with meat and not something like smoking?
I get that vegans and vegetarians can be obnoxiously sanctimonious and smug, but we've known for decades that red meat is incredibly bad for us. The McGovern commission in the 70s recommended we eat less meat, but industry completely flipped out about it and buried the suggestions.

"True on both sides."

Show me a study that eating read meat extends lifespan, and I will be open to it.