In "Eating Animals," Jonathan Safran Foer critiques the meat industry by revealing its troubling practices. The industry prioritizes profit over the health and well-being of animals, operating under the principle that sick animals can yield high returns. Factory farms are designed to maximize efficiency by pushing animals to their limits, closely monitoring how near they can bring them to death without outright killing them. This exploitative model is predicated on intensive farming methods that neglect the natural welfare of the animals involved.

Foer's insights shed light on a stark reality: animals are treated more like commodities than living beings. The focus is on rapid growth, confinement, and minimal care, all aimed at maximizing output. This approach not only raises ethical concerns but also reflects a broader disconnection in how society perceives animal life. The industry's business model essentially commodifies animals, reducing them to mere objects rather than acknowledging their intrinsic value as sentient creatures.