kohlrak: We should see some manifestation of our drastic increase in meat consumption
toxicTom: ,,, like any history book? Or simply talking to old people?
I used to work in a nursing home, and no one ever complained about the meat. People did complain about the overall serving sizes, however. Mind you, I worked in the dietary department, too, so it would've been relevant to come to me with such complaints. In contrast, I've had people request more portions of meat.
kohlrak: yet human life expectancy has gone up for the most part.
Advances in medicine?
That would include diet, as well.
You know about life expectancy statistics? What played a big part until the last century? Death on child-bed, both for the (usually young) women and the children. And the classic children diseases, which we pretty much defeated, And vaccinations and treatments rooting our plagues like the pox, the black death, tuberkulos and the likes. But just that we don't die that easily any more doesn't mean we're more healthy.
No, you're wrong. By definition by dying less we're more healthy. Doesn't mean it's due to our diets, but it does mean we're more healthy, 'cause, you know, we're alive... It's kinda like cancer: it's far more common now that we live longer, but that doesn't mean cancer itself has changed or that we do things that cause cancer more often (although i would make that case, I can't use cancer prevelance compared to 500 years ago to make that case).
The fast food temple makes us fat, and the pharmacy makes it tolerable - that's how we live. There's no respect for food and where it comes from - no wonder - we don't respect ourselves either. Everything - from the steak on the table to our own biceps is just a means to an end.
With the exception of certain religious traditions, I don't believe at all that we had any more respect before than we do now. To the contrary, because of those religious traditions, it seems reasonable that the need to enforce such an idea in a religion suggests that indeed we had no more respect before than we do now, because why make rules for that which is normal? I don't see any religious institutions campaigning for us not to poke our eyes out with forks, or not to run headfirst into walls, to wear shoes, etc.
Sachys: you have long appeared to find facts hard to believe
Very difficult to believe facts that aren't even presented with evidence, or at all. Maybe people should just up their game a little and actually try to be convincing.