Flexitarians – Common and Increasing

For more information on just what a Flexitarian is, you can read a short article I wrote almost 2 years ago. In addtion, there is even a book available on the subject.  But last month, China Millman, (what a great name), wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the increasing number of us Flexitarians. Although the number of vegetarians has been holding steady for a long time, the number of people who are eating significantly less meat is increasing rapidly. This is an encouraging trend to be sure. I have long held the opinion that it is much easier to encourage people to make small, beneficial, changes to their lifestyle than it is to call for sweeping changes in behavior. This is a great example of that opinion being supported by the research. And yes, thee is even a book!

Think about this idea… If many millions of people reduce their meat consumption by 20 percent that is a huge change in the food production industry. The numbers and results of small changes can be staggering. Michael Pollan has stated that if everyone in the US eats just one less meal with meat a week, it would be the same carbon reducing effect as taking 35 million cars off the road each year. There is a lot of recent research that seems to indicate going totally vegetarian may not have all the health benefits long thought. Part of that research shows that eating a small amount of meat produced in a healthy manner can actually be good for you. But that is a story for another day. For now, if you are a big meat eater, don’t fret about drastic cuts in your consumption. Just be encourages that by small, almost imperceptible changes in your diet, you will be contributing to a larger benefit. Who knows, perhaps if you look at your diet over the past few years, you already be a Flexitarian.