50% of US beef is eaten by just 12% of Americans, mostly men : study

Where’s the beef? In America, it’s getting scarfed up by a small minority of people.

A new study reveals that 50% of the beef consumed in any given day goes to just 12% of the US population.

And this heavy consumption of beef has significant health impacts on those Americans who are eating half of our steaks, meatballs, weiners and hamburgers.

Current US Department of Agriculture guidelines suggest eating four ounces per day of meat, poultry, and eggs for those consuming 2200 calories per day. But the study reveals some Americans are far exceeding that amount.

The USDA reports Americans overall consumed a whopping 30 billion pounds of beef in 2021, which equals almost 60 pounds per person per year.

The researchers were “surprised” such a small percentage of people consume such an outsized proportion of beef, study author Dr. Diego Rose, nutrition program director at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said in a news release.

“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,” Rose said.

Indeed, an overwhelming number of studies find that consuming red and processed meats can contribute to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and premature death.

“The evidence is consistent across different studies,” Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Harvard Health Publishing.

And if you’re wondering who’s eating all that beef, the answer is, disproportionately, men. People between the ages of 50 and 65 were also more likely to eat a heftier portion of beef.

“On average, teenage boys consume more meat, poultry and eggs than is recommended in the [Dietary Guidelines for Americans]. For adult men, the distance from the recommendations is even greater,” the study authors wrote.

“This may be because meat, especially red meat, is associated with masculinity, strength and power in Western culture,” they added.

“Men are more likely to subscribe to the idea that human lives are more valuable than those of animals, and are more likely to associate meat with healthiness. Whatever the reasons, men are significantly less likely than women to consider reducing their meat consumption.”

Almost a third of the beef eaten came from cuts such as steak or brisket. But six of the top 10 sources were mixes like burgers, hot dogs, burritos, tacos, meatloaf or meat sauce.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which tracked the meals of more than 10,000 adults over a 24-hour period.

Rose said the researchers’ purpose was to help target educational programs to those eating disproportionate amounts of beef.

“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. “On the other hand, those 12% may be most resistant to change.” 

Experts noted that despite that resistance, changing diets may require just a simple adjustment.

“If you’re getting a burrito, you could just as easily ask for chicken instead of beef,” said Amelia Willits-Smith, lead author and post-doctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“The evidence shows that people with a relatively low intake [of beef] have lower health risks,” Hu said. “A general recommendation is that people should stick to no more than two to three servings per week.”