Real Girls Have Hamburger Buns

Responding to reports of rising vegetarianism among teenagers, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association "responded to the looming vegetarian crisis by launching a website, Cool 2B Real, in an attempt to link meat consumption with some degree of hipness. The site, which looks like a cross between a Barbie fan page and a Taco Bell ad (beef-filled tacos and gigantic hamburgers dot the screen), extols teenage girls to 'Keep it Real' - 'real' as in a person who eats beef, preferably three or four times a day. Visitors are also invited to send e-cards to their 'real friends' and to tell the world why they are 'real girls' (because they eat beef burritos, of course!)" But Time couldn't resist adding its own pro-beef spin to the story, stating that "New findings from the University of Minnesota link teen vegetarians to a less health-conscious lifestyle than that of their carnivorous peers." Actually, the latest U of M research shows exactly the opposite.