In the book "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," author Mary Roach explores various intriguing aspects of human anatomy and the science surrounding it. In a specific instance, Roach recounts her inquiry with anthropologist Stanley Garn regarding nutritional analyses of human flesh, as she was simply curious about it. While Garn had not performed such studies, he shared that he had calculated the lean-to-fat ratio of human flesh, drawing parallels between humans and veal.

Garn estimated that the body composition of humans is quite similar to that of veal, using average body fat percentages from various populations to arrive at this conclusion. He noted that there is substantial data available about body metrics from numerous countries, hinting at a macabre curiosity of human consumption. His comments provide a unique perspective on human anatomy, inviting readers to reflect on the implications of such comparisons in dietary terms.