The cyclical nature of the world has come back around on beef. Researchers at the American Cancer Society recently issued a report concluding that red and processed meats can dramatically increase a person's chances of developing colorectal cancers.
A study of 150,000 adults found that those who ate large amounts of red meat (3 ounces for men, 2 ounces for women), were up to 40% more likely to develop such malignancies than those consuming fewer than 1.5 ounces. Processed meats didn't fare any better. The ACS study found that high consumption of foods like bacon and deli meats raised the risk of colorectal cancer by 50%.
Still, Americans cannot seem to get enough beef. Consumption has hit all-time highs, and there doesn't seem to be any moderation. Last November, Hardee's introduced its Monster Thickburger -- two-thirds of a pound of ground Angus beef, served on two patties with cheese and four strips of bacon. The whopping 1,418-calorie burger makes mincemeat of the Whopper. Indeed, Burger King's closest comparable burger, a Double Whopper with Cheese, weighs in at 1,060 calories.
The ACS study was not extensive enough for the organization to recommend maximum daily allowances regarding red and processed meats, but the report suggests fewer ounces and leaner amounts. That's precisely what Hardee's and the other big-burger providers do not want to hear.
"We get thank-yous for putting out a burger that people can actually eat," Andrew Pudzer, chief executive officer of Hardee's parent CKE Restaurants, told the Wall Street Journal.
