Goodbye...

other organs, including the stomach, prostate, and pancreas. Cancer risk (18% increase in colorectal cancer) goes up with just 50 grams daily of six slices of bacon, one hotdog, two slices of ham, 5 slices of salami or two slices of Canadian bacon. So there’s no going around this – a carnivorous lifestyle is a shortcut to cancer.

Push Back. Not surprisingly, the meat industry in the US is chewing the report and spitting it out. Even if the study is in fact a meta-analysis of 800 published papers, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) says that it “defies both common sense and numerous studies showing no correlation between meat and cancer.” I’m sure our National Bistek Council will give a similar statement.

What Now? Surprisingly, Epicurus (341 BC-270 BC) will have a take on this matter, too. Of our desires, Epicurus divides them into three. Some desires are natural and necessary (what we now call needs); some are natural but unnecessary and lastly some desires are both unnatural and unnecessary (fame and power). Guess where meat belongs? While it is natural and necessary to have food, water, clothes, freedom, and thought, it is to Epicurus, natural but unnecessary to have banquets, fish and meat, along with a grand house and servants. These he says are not essential to happiness.

A few days after the WHO meat report came out, the Daily Mash (UK) featured a 103-year-old vegetarian who regrets having avoided meat. Roy Hobbs said: “I am over a century old, partly because I’ve exercised extreme self-control when it comes to my base desire for meat.” He said it is too late to have steak now because he has no teeth. Mr. Hobbs, let’s share my tapsilog and worry about your colorectal cancer when you hit 110. No doubt even Epicurus will agree.

E-mail: jspujalte@yahoo.com