Diet and Nutrition

This is a report provided by the U.S. beef industry that summarizes research addressing attitudes toward beef and how to communicate with consumers in the United States. This is an annual survey and the results are compared with previous years.

This study examines the levels of intestinal microbes in omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. Vegans were found to have the least and omnivores the most. This is due to not consuming contaminated meat as well as a higher intake of fruits and vegetables, which are fibrous and help keep the intestines clean.

To evaluate the readability of such materials in a more robust and transparent manner, the Humane Research Council (HRC) partnered with VegFund and FARM to test a selection of outreach materials that are commonly used by vegan advocates. The average readability scores placed these materials in the range of the 11th grade reading level or higher, which is three to four grade levels higher than the average U.S. adult.

This study examines the impact of fast food restaurants on levels of obesity in the populations of 26 affluent nations. Researchers statistically analyzed the relationship between the number of Subway restaurants and the proportion of people who are obese. Even after controlling for various environmental factors a strong relationship was found--the more Subways in a country, the higher rates of obesity.

Researchers investigated the link between meat eating and risk of developing a type of cancer of the kidney called renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The study found that increased consumption of red meat increased the risk of developing RCC.

This survey asked a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults to identify what they considered to be the most important food news in 2011. Stories about food safety and health were ranked at the top of the list. This suggests that animal advocates promoting vegetarianism will benefit from highlighting the food-safety risks caused by meat production. Notably, the survey also found that 14% of respondents plan to incorporate less meat into their diets in 2012.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) and proportion spend for various types of food in the U.S. is updated on a monthly basis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This data reports how food expenditures break down by different food types. The CPI is one of the most widely used indicators of changes in retail prices, so this data can be useful for animal advocates who are working with restaurants to have more vegetarian options, among other possibilities.

Based on data from Technomic's online MenuMonitor database, which tracks the menus of 2,000 restaurant menus, this article discusses the increase in the use of pig products in restaurants in 2011.