Majority of Brits say they would rather die early than give up eating meat

People often ask what our death row meal would be, but would you choose to die early in exchange for a lifetime of eating your favourite food?

Well, according to a new poll two thirds of Brits would happily shave time off their life expectancy just to continue eating meat.

A total of 67 per cent of those who took part responded to the OnePoll survey on behalf of No Meat May saying they would rather die early than give meat up.

The poll, which delved into Brits’ eating habits, also found that 27 per cent of men would rather give up coffee than meat, while 19 per cent would rather give up alcohol.

Only a third of Brits said they'd give up meat to improve their overall health (Getty Images/Maskot)

However, 35 per cent said they would give up meat if it would improve their overall health and 18 per cent said they would give it up if it improved their sexual performance.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of women said they’d give up meat for their overall health, while 36 per cent said they’d give it up if it would reduce their chances of developing certain cancers.

Out of all 2,000 respondents, 76 per cent said they cared about the environment, however just 26 per cent said they would give up meat and other animal products in a bid to reduce their environmental impact.

The majority of people said they care about the environment, but would not give up meat to help it (Getty Images)

"This survey highlights a real disconnect between the science and public attitudes relating to meat consumption," Dr Shireen Kassam, founder of Plant Based Health Professionals UK, told Metro.

"Given that eating meat, particularly red and processed meat, is a leading risk factor for some of our commonest chronic illnesses, it is quite alarming to learn how entrenched some myths and beliefs about a vegan diet actually are.

"This is undoubtedly a result of decades of effective marketing and PR by the meat industry."

He added: "The truth is that removing meat from the diet and replacing it with healthy plant foods is one of the best things you can do for your personal health.

"This includes lowering your risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death for men and women), type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and maintaining a healthy weight. There is even evidence to suggest that avoiding meat improves sexual function and sperm quality in men."

No Meat May is encouraging people to give up eating meat for the month for 31 days to see if you experience health benefits, while also saying it has a positive impact on the environment.