Tweet Sparks Outcry with Call for "Homovore Diet," Experts Decry Cannibalism as Illegal and Dangerous

A recent social media post by user Vivid Void has ignited widespread condemnation after advocating for a "homovore diet" as a means to reduce animal suffering and address environmental concerns. The tweet, which quickly went viral, suggested that consuming human flesh could be a morally superior alternative to traditional meat consumption, citing calorie counts and a misapplied understanding of utilitarian principles. Experts have swiftly refuted these claims, emphasizing the severe legal, health, and ethical ramifications of cannibalism.

"I'm really into utilitarianism lately, especially reducing suffering," the tweet stated, adding, "An avg person eats ~3,500 animals/yr (including shrimp) [and] A human body has ~125,000 calories of edible tissue." Vivid Void concluded, "The single best thing you can do - for the climate, the environment and the end of suffering for all sentient beings - is to switch to an all homovore diet." This proposition, suggesting that one would "only have to eat six humans/yr to meet your calorie needs," was met with shock and outrage.

While Idaho is the sole U.S. state with an explicit anti-cannibalism statute, penalizing it with up to 14 years in prison, the act remains effectively illegal across all 50 states due to overlapping laws. Legal experts confirm that obtaining human remains for consumption almost invariably involves crimes such as murder, assault, or desecration of a corpse. Consent is not a valid defense for murder, and laws against abusing or disturbing human remains are broad.

Beyond legal prohibitions, the consumption of human flesh carries grave health risks, most notably the transmission of prion diseases like Kuru. Kuru, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, was historically linked to endocannibalistic funeral rituals among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. Symptoms include tremors, loss of coordination, and eventual death, with incubation periods that can span decades. Medical and public health authorities universally advise against any form of human consumption due to these severe and incurable risks.

Ethically, the concept of cannibalism is a deeply ingrained societal taboo, universally condemned across cultures and major ethical frameworks. Utilitarianism, an ethical theory that aims to maximize overall well-being and minimize suffering, is fundamentally misapplied in the tweet. True utilitarian analysis would consider the immense suffering caused by murder, the public health catastrophe of widespread disease, and the profound psychological and social harm inflicted by such acts, far outweighing any perceived benefit of reducing animal consumption through cannibalism. The promotion of a "homovore diet" stands in stark contrast to established legal, scientific, and moral principles.