Should people continue to eat meat?
export | symbolic | domestic | integrate | efficient
export | symbolic | domestic | integrate | efficient
Many Americans believe that a healthy diet integrates meat. After all, meat is an efficient source of calories and protein. Meat can also be a powerful symbol. For many Americans, a thick steak represents success, and hot dogs represent summertime baseball.
For many farmers and ranchers, meat production is also a way to earn a living. The U.S. exports billions of pounds of meat a year in addition to the billions of pounds sold in the domestic market for consumption. The table on the right shows how much meat the average American ate during each different year.
How much more meat did the average American eat in 2005 than in 1985?
A. 219.6 pounds
B. 4.7 pounds
C. 22.3 pounds
D. 21.7 pounds
How much less meat did the average American eat in 2010 than 2005?
A. 13.9 pounds
B. 3.9 pounds
C. 12.9 pounds
D. 2.9 pounds
For vegetarians, meat can be symbolic of cruelty to animals. While eating meat is an efficient way to take in calories, most people get enough calories anyway. A vegetarian diet that integrates beans, nuts, and vitamin supplements can be just as healthy as a diet with meat. Domestically, about 3% of young people ages 8–18 are vegetarian.
If two young Americans ages 8–18 are selected at random, what are the chances that both of them are vegetarian?
The U.S. produces billions of pounds of meat each year: some for export and some to be eaten domestically. Data show most Americans have a diet that integrates over half a pound of meat a day. What will happen if more Americans become vegetarian? Which people might lose money, and which people might earn more money? In order to feed people efficiently, how should the food industry change?