Where’s the beef?
A new study shows that less than 20% of the U.S. population is responsible for devouring 50% of the beef in America.
The study, published in the Nutrients Journal showed that 12% of Americans are responsible for consuming half of the beef eaten in the U.S. each day, according to a press release from Tulane University.
Of this number, men between the ages of 50 and 65 were reported as being the 12% most likely eating half of the beef, according to the study.
“We focused on beef because of its impact on the environment, and because it’s high in saturated fat, which is not good for your health,” Diego Rose, the senior author of the study and a professor and nutrition program director at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine said.
Where's the beef? Half of US beef is eaten by 12% of the population on any given day, while 45% ate no beef at all. #Beef | #Meat | #Health https://t.co/hzULoQKK18
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) August 31, 2023
The study analyzed data from a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which followed the meals that 10,000 Americans ate within a 24-hour period, according to the press release.
Rose explained that the goal of the study was to help educational programs that focus on people who eat disproportionate amounts of beef, according to the press release, adding that he and his colleagues were “surprised” at how few Americans are responsible for consuming a large portion of meat.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating between two to three ounces of meat, poultry, and eggs per day, according to the USDA’s dietary guide.
“On one hand, if it’s only 12% accounting for half the beef consumption, you could make some big gains if you get those 12% on board,” Rose said of the study’s findings. “On the other hand, those 12% may be most resistant to change.”
