Societal standards make meat consumption "normal" despite their harmful effects.

Meat has become a major part of our diets with the emphasis society puts on its consumption. We see this tendency to eat meat at barbecues, parties, get-togethers, and restaurants. There is more emphasis on consuming a burger than there is a salad. Some argue that many diets emphasize meat and poultry consumption as necessary for protein intake, thus we should not stop consuming it.

However, according to Curtis Tate, a well-respected travel reporter for USA Today, processed meats are damaging to the body and have been labeled as a Group I carcinogen. This may lead you to ask how harmful can it really be?

Meat is as dangerous as any other cancer-causing substance.

Tate highlights the deaths surrounding meat consumption: "Of the deaths per year worldwide, "34,000 [are] attributed to high consumption of processed meats" and "50,000 [are] attributed to high consumption of red meat."

It is frightening how 84,000 people die per year from food-related cancers, and we do not hear anything about it. Meats are causing heart diseases and obesity, but yet we are still told that it is necessary for our survival. These suggestions are are not congruent to the statistics proving that meat causes more harm than good. In spite of this, why don't we see labels on meat packaging warning of its potential life-taking risks?

You don't have to cut meat out completely - just start making healthier choices.

A healthy suggestion I would give is to limit your processed meat consumption to once a day and in a smaller portion. In the event that one is looking to alter their diet, they may consider a plant-based diet. It is understandable how tricky it would be to completely alter one's diet considering how fast food is the center of our culture.

If you're over meat, then consider taking on a plant-based diet.

A plant-based diet can have many benefits for your overall health. Heather Moore, journalist for the TCA News Service, followed a study in her article carried out by Spain's University of Navarra. The study found that following a plant-based diet "halves the risk of becoming obese" as opposed to eating animal-derived foods. Recall all the times your mother told you to eat your greens; well, maybe she was right. Vegetables have a better impact on our digestive systems than meat and also reduce obesity. Being the leading country with obesity issues, we should really consider different measures to reduce those numbers.

Be a conscious consumer - in all ways possible.

Understand all of the risks associated with meat consumption, but also apply this into other things in your life. Be aware of all the chemicals and preservatives in everything you consume or use on a daily basis. And above all, be a conscious consumer so that you are not trusting everything you read.