Essay about Eating Meat

As humanity becomes more civilized, many of us perceive that eating livestock is morally incorrect, but aren’t we are designed to be an omnivore? Our teeth and digestive system serve the purpose of breaking down animal and plant foods and to bring these important nutrients to every part of the body. Despite the fact that, in 2011, U.S. meat and poultry production reached more than 92.3 billion pounds, the ethic of killing and eating animals as well as the concern of the environmental burden caused by the production of meats is debatable. However, animal based diet is necessary for the human body to function properly and we can choose the meat produced from environmentally sustainable farms to avoid the moral ambiguity.

Meat is part of a balanced diet. If humans stopped breeding animals for meat, then we would have to hunt all the wild animals for food. The wild animals will be hunted into extinction because of gluttonous meat-eaters. Because of factory farming, meat is now available at all time at the super market. This makes meat convenient to obtain and eat nutritionally. Meat contains all the essential amino acids that we need every day to remain as healthy individuals. Minerals and vitamins that are also beneficial to the growth and development of the human body are found in meat too. Eating specific types of meat such as fish provides healthy natural oils that cannot be found anywhere else. Abandoning meat as a source of nutrition means we will need to compensate with another source of sustenance.

These are significant problems because Heart Disease and Cancer are the number one and two killers in America. “Almost one of every two Americans will die from Heart Disease . . .40 million diagnosed with heart disease, and 1.5 million a year having heart attacks”(Marcus 8). There is no denying that disease is developing at a rapid pace. Everyone knows someone who had or has cancer or heart disease. They are awful diseases, and “a high-fat, animal based diet is the single most significant cause of death from heart disease”(Marcus 3). If people cut back or eliminated animal products from their diets, not only would they be eating less of the foods that cause their bodies harm, they would be eating more nutrient rich foods (fruits and vegetables) that help fight off and prevent disease. “Doctors like Dean Ornish and John MacDougall have discovered that plant-based diets have the power to reverse heart disease,

Taking meat out of one’s diet doesn’t mean taking out vital nutrients. Substitutes for protein found in meat without the high level of saturated fat, include: nuts, seeds, soy products, cereal, eggs and dairy. In fact, not eating meat improves a person’s health because eating a great deal of meat means being more prone to have high cholesterol and blood pressure. To set an example, advertisements say lobsters have “fewer calories, less cholesterol, and less saturated fat than chicken” (461). In the quote take note of, “than chicken.” Lobster, a great source of protein, still has high levels of cholesterol and sodium. Although accurate, the quote does not give the full truth. Not to mention, the popular eating habits of adding more fat to meat. Wallace mentions in his article the “common practice to dip lobster meat in melted butter…”(461); all healthy fats evaporate when butter is melted. Advertisements fail to mention facts about butter. To sum up, individuals will improve their health and obtain enough nutrients in their diet by avoiding meat.

Did you know that buying that burger at dinner or frozen chicken at the grocery store is killing you, your family, and the environment? Despite that you grew up eating meat and accumulated the thought that you “can’t live without it,” you CAN go without consuming meat. If you were to give up meat, even for a while or better yet all together, you would not only be helping the earth, but also your health, and even our future generations to come. Believe it or not, eating meat causes huge side effect to your health. Factory farming even causes more pollution and chemical fume releases than cars. On top of that, it is wiping out vast sums of land and is causing deforestation, which is even causing plants and insects to become extinct every day. Factory farming and the consumption of meat is bad and should be limited or stopped altogether.

Some individuals may have chosen to be Vegetarian for health purposes, or out of respect for animals. The health benefits of not eating meat may reduce the risk of a Heart Attack, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Meat contains saturated fat. Consuming excessive amounts of meat may cause clogged arteries. Clogged arteries force your heart to beat faster, in order to pump blood through the arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. Compounds broken down in meat produce fatty build up causing clogged arteries, and in some cases resulting in a heart attack. Preservatives, such as nitrate, are used to prevent bacteria in processed meat, and are known to cause cancer. Red meat is high in iron and may diminish insulin’s effectiveness of converting sugar into energy causing diabetes.

First and foremost, eating red meat may cause cardiovascular disease. The animal-based dietary fats that found in red meat, can lead to stroke and heart disease. After you ate the red meat, a great amount intake of cholesterol and saturated fats would be added to your diet, which can accumulate the fatty substance that would

We are a nation of meat eaters. We are socialized from a young age to consume high levels of animal products. This deeply ingrained meat-eating tradition is a big part of the American standard diet. A visit to the local grocery store shows that there is no shortage of animal products. Isle by isle you see a plethora of meats, neatly packed and ready to be cooked, dairy products neatly shelved, and even candies that contain animal by-products. This is an omnivore’s utopia, allowing for a lifestyle that involves the overconsumption of meats and animal by-products. The rampant meat industry has managed to condition people to disassociate the meats in our grocery markets and the animals from which they came. Most people have become unaware omnivores, consuming whatever meats are available to them. This shift of moral degradation is evident in how we process and consume our meats. We have become a selfish society that values our own convenience and affordability of meat rather than the consideration of the animal. This begs the question, is eating meat inherently wrong and should we forbid meat consumption under any and all circumstances? To fully address this issue, we must first define the moral status of animals. So, are animals equal to humans in worth and value and should they receive similar treatment?

The raising of cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and more are the reason for most of the destruction of the environment on the planet. Over all farm land covers about 38% of the worlds land area. So humans can continue to eat meat millions of animals and insects are losing their homes and even going extinct so more farm

The cattle industry produces vast amounts of strain in the environment. It is energy inefficient, pollutes water, occupies many acres of land, and deteriorates the health of the people who abuse its consumption. The government subsidizes this industry. Therefore, the price paid for meat doesn’t reflect the environmental hazards involved in the process. In order to protect our health and the health of the environment we should pay close attention to our food choices and make sure we don’t support industries that degrade it.

     It also needs to be pointed out that meat production industry is highly unfriendly to the environment. It has been proved that the results of this mindless actions are extremely harmful to the whole planet: trees are lost in creating farms for animal food, land is taken away from wildlife, additional erosion is caused, topsoil is lost, groundwater is wasted, and pesticide is excessively used. In fact, one chicken farm uses as much water as a little city. Few may know that this industry, compared to others, causes the biggest pollution at all.

Numerous studies have shown meat-free diets have a plethora of health benefits such as helping reduce risk of heart disease and cancer and controlling diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of deaths in the United States, one which could be prevented with a low cholesterol diet such as vegetarianism or veganism. The website for American Heart Association says that in order to reduce risk of heart disease people should, “Use up as many calories as you take in.” Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, two reporters for the University of Chicago News Office, conducted a study in an article titled "A Vegetarian Diet Is More Energy Efficient Than a Meat Diet"that showed that the vegetarian diet is the most energy efficient

In most third world countries meat is usually scarced. Even if there is meat available, it is extremely expensive and is eaten on special occasions. Here in the states and most first world countries, meat is found in abundance and can be cheaper than plant produce. The large production in the meat industry made meat cheaper. A surprising fact that “70 percent of grain produced is fed to animals” (Motavalli). The amount of grain put into an animal and the amount of meat that is produced is less than the grains. The same applies for fresh water. Hypothetically, the grain could be able to feed starving communities in third

Meat is an important part of our diet not only because it provides essential nutrients to our body, but also helps our body be effective. Many people think the only reason we eat meat is to satisfy hunger and to receive protein, but it is for so much more than that. Meat is more than just a complete protein unlike soy products, for example, which need to be combined with supplemental proteins to be considered "complete." It's loaded with other healthy goodies, including high levels of iron and B vitamins, such as niacin and riboflavin which enables the growth of healthy skin and nerves as well as help digestion and maintain good vision. Meat also contains selenium, which works as an antioxidant with vitamin E to protect the human body from heart disease and other health problems. Phosphorus, which helps regulate metabolism, is also

Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian