Thursday, August 9, 2007

A good Steak.

Generations ago, girls were not encouraged to eat red meat because it was feared that much like lions or tigers or the family pet - once they got a taste of meat, they would become overwhelmed by their passions and lusts and soon, eating meat would turn into promiscuity. (I don't make this stuff up people - I just report it.)

Eventually, people got over it. Girls were given diets that were nutritious and fostered healthy growth. Girls are encouraged to play sports. And learn and get educations and everything now.

Well, it appears there is something of a revival of the whole "not letting girls have meat" issue. However, it's been cleverly disguised as a health concern. The logic is that girls should not be allowed to have beef or milk because of bovine growth hormone. The thought is that bovine growth hormone in the beef and milk makes girls go into puberty early and that is bad.

Now, I understand that as generations have past, the age at which girls hit puberty has gone down for the population as a whole. We do see more and more girls having periods at 9 or 10. Or do we? Could it be that there were cases of girls hitting puberty that young in the past and we hid it? After all, the fact that so many topics are up for public discussion now means we know stuff about people we didn't before. And, I know that there is some science to the chemicals we put in our food. I remember when they reissued the red m&ms with better red coloring. I know that I feel the effects of specific foods I eat. I'm not wholeheartedly dismissing the notion that bovine growth hormone in the milk and meat isn't doing something. But why only girls? Wouldn't it follow that bovine growth hormone would also have some effects on boys? or adults?

On a related note, apparently, eating red meat is now a dating strategy for women. No longer do well educated, self-reliant women want to cast themselves as dainty and in need of being taken care of on the first date. Now, women are ordering rib eye steaks as a way of communicating to men that they are "real women."

So much meaning wrapped up in a steak.

No comments: