There was a recent study that compared the Japanese intake of beef to
the traditional diet. It wasn't surprising that heart disease was
found in the meat-eating group.

It's also important to note that the effect of meat eating is
confounded with the presence of fiber. It is currently thought that
the relative levels of fiber and fat, and not necessarily red meat, is
promotive of colorectal cancer.

In other words, drain the hamburger before you serve.

The problem with these diet comparison studies is that Asian diets,
high in fibrous rice, also tend to be devoid of red meat. It's not
because of any health consciousness, but simply because beef is a
premium import in Japan. Likewise, caloric levels tend to be
significantly lower on mainland China, simply because there's not
enough food to feed at American dietary caloric levels.