Pros And Cons Of Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism has existed for many centuries, but perhaps the most well known vegetarian was Pythagoras. Pythagoras was a philosopher whom educated much of the world on his ideas in life, one at the time being the abstinence of meat. Pythagoras, along with many of his followers, believed that the consumption of meat could affect the longevity of one’s life. Though not everyone believed in Pythagoras’ opinions, he still had a loyal group of followers. Pythagoras was so widely associated with a meat free diet that the terms vegetarian was not even in use until 1847, when the term “pythagorean” was changed to “vegetarian” (Avey). Today, there are 16 million people in America who follow a vegetarian-based or vegan diet (Watters). There is a common misconception that the choice to become a vegetarian is based only on a person’s love for animals, but there are many other benefits to being a vegetarian. Pythagoras and his followers gave many of the same arguments that people who abstain from meat today support; for example, Pythagoras had the belief that there was a majority of added health benefits from a meatless diet (Avey). Vegetarianism can decrease the risk of cancer along with other health concerns, can solve problems the world presently faces,—such as world hunger and animal cruelty— and can have positive effects on the environment—such as pollution reduction and overgrazing reduction. People need to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle because it will improve public

Peering into the fridge, there’s nothing to eat. One may settle on a bag of chips. While you take a bite, you may take a glance at the nutritional facts. Ignorance covers the rest of the package with lies. You may see the fat content but you do not honestly know how much effort it took to get that bag to you. Erase that ignorance and you can change your health, your ecological footprint, and the world by simply changing what you eat. Looking at the vegetarian diet and its health benefits; the environmental effects and pollution of meat production; and the destruction of your health by meat products;there are major consequences from the production of animal products.

“Meats, Dairies, and Eggs, Oh Why” (2014) is an argumentative essay written by Rebecca Dent that explains the benefits of eating a plant-based diet and advocates for the better treatment of the animals affected by the meat industry. Dent supports her assertions by discussing the negative health effects of an omnivorous diet, addressing reasons some might be hesitant to convert to a plant-based diet, describing the advantages of substituting meat for vegetables for both the consumers and the animals, and finally, by including expert opinions and statistical facts. Dent’s purpose for this essay is to highlight the benefits of vegetarianism in order to convince readers to convert to a plant-based diet. The intended audience for this argument is those who currently eat an omnivorous diet so that they would assess and change their eating habits.

There are two main lifestyles that we as human beings practice that impact our eating habits. One being a Vegetarian, a person who chooses not to eat meat. The other being a Meat Eater (also known as an Omnivore), a person who chooses to eat both meat and vegetables. A controversial debate continues to go on, evaluating the pros and cons of each group, along with the reasons behind their choice. In the end it all depends on the individual’s outlook on life that makes the decision.

“You are what you eat”, a famous saying says. If this were truly the case, then the majority of Americans would be unhealthy, chemically processed, commercially grown slabs of animal meat. And although this is not a particularly pleasing thought, it is the epitome of a standard American diet that consists of Big Macs and Taco Bell. There are a select few who stray from this typical diet, and have altered it to where they can substitute meat with other nutrients. This type of diet is called vegetarianism, and is considered the way to live without poisoning oneself with the harmful and hazardous treatment that animals go through before becoming the next meal on your plates. While vegetarianism was once thought to be a movement without much action,

With research and supplementation, a life free of the cruelty of meat, or even all animal products, can be safe and healthy for all kinds of people from infants, to athletes. On top of the fact that the are safe and healthy for humans, these diets save millions of animals from the cruelty of overcrowded slaughterhouses, and from the torture of being treated as a number on a check and nothing more. The health and moral benefits of following a vegan or vegetarian diet immensely outweigh the negatives, and improve the quality of many beings lives in many aspects including; moral and health consciousness, prevention of illness and disease, and moral respect for those who cannot battle the injustices imposed against them on a daily

Dr. Michael Greger provides an eye-opening statistic regarding the link between health and nutrition when he states that, “The #1 killer in the US – heart disease – was found to be almost nonexistent in populations with diets centered around whole plant foods” (“Greger”). Even though the idea that a plant-based diet is the best option for many reasons, many groups still passionately contest it. However, recent research in nutritional and environmental science has established that a more plant-based, or vegetarian, lifestyle is the way society needs to go. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines vegetarian as, “one who eats no meat” (715). Society is showing a trend towards more people adopting plant-based eating. This trend can be seen playing out in the popular media via celebrities who openly discuss their vegetarian lifestyle choices and also in popular television shows whose characters talk about being vegetarian in the dialogue of show.

As we can now observe, vegetarianism has become something fashionable, and the number of people who reject eating meat is constantly increasing. In Britain, for instance, over 5 million people have done it so far. It is obviously connected with the recent animal diseases, but this tendency is likely to spread on the other regions of the world. However, it is not only a fashion or fear of illnesses. I myself became a vegetarian about 2 years ago, and I can see a number of reasons why people should stop eating meat. They are mainly of ethic, economic and health type. Those who think in an ecological way should also be aware of how this meat consumption ruins our environment. I don’t have an intention

Veganism is a food lifestyle based on diet of vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts and fruits. People are being vegetarian because they think it is healthier to only eat vegetables without eating meet or chicken, and they think that they will get a perfect body shape, free of diseases. As in vegetarian, where they feed on foods that do not fit into animal flesh, whether from wild or marine animals. They also don’t eat food that comes directly from the animal, such as: egg that’s comes from the hen, milk that comes from cows, goats and honey that comes from bees. In India, Ethiopia and Jamaica there are a lot of vegetarian people, because they don’t have enough food to feed themselves, so they decided to eat vegetable. This paper argues that veganism is a harmful lifestyle for three major reasons.

“Food makes philosophers of us all. Death does the same … but death comes only once … and choices about food come many times each day” (Irvine 2013:145). Gluten-free, nut-free, low calorie, low fat, and/or plant-based diets; with any 'diet ', one must do research and this research usually leads to some kind of realization about the food one is consuming and how its production can affect upcoming lifestyle change(s); this is especially true with those going some level of vegetarian or vegan. Why does one choose to go vegetarian or vegan, and how the world and culture around them change when they ultimately do so? “History shows us that food consumption is steeped in morality and is a means for the practical transformation of moral and political visions into social practice... For some consumers, making ethical food choices on the products they purchase is a political act: an attempt to contest, construct, shape, direct, and determine policy through the decisions they make about what they buy and what they eat” (Irvine 2013: Zwart)(Irvine 2013: Clarke) This, too, is why vegetarians and vegans make headlines, both at the global level and at the dinner-table level – there is an expectation that this label will eventually come up when eating with others, and all the reactions society has once that label is exposed are the basis of this paper. The truth is, once an individual learns about the cycle of food and learns how mass production of livestock penetrates their everyday

With just 3.2 percent of Americans eating a vegetarian diet, 0.5 of them being vegan, consuming animal products is part of an everyday culture in the United States (“Vegetarianism in America”). Choosing to not consume animals may be seen as strange and unhealthy. Vegan and Vegetarian diets may be seen as restrictive because people are often misinformed about the lifestyle. During a course of one year, the average person will consume thirty-one land animals (Livestock Slaughter 2000...); on average, a vegan or vegetarian will save approximately thirty-four (Zacharias). Our bodies do not need animal products to function properly; by consuming animals, people are deteriorating the environment and their bodies. The choices a person makes in

Vegetarian and Vegan diets are growing in popularity among people around the world, especially teenagers and youth. The reasons to make that choice are very different and vary from the concerns about the own health, impact of the animal farming on the global warming, the use without control of antibiotics and other medicines on animal production and ethical issues about animal care. In addition the popularity of vegan products such as soy milk has increased due to allergies and lactose intolerance among those who consumes animal derived products.

To most people vegetarianism means the refraining of meat, primarily red meat, from personal consumption. Although the traditional vegetarian abstinence of red meat has grown into a group of varied lifestyles, little is known about them. To some people vegetarians are considered to be a drop out of the hippy era, or are labelled as "weird" or "feral". Because of the misinterpretations surrounding vegetarianism in society I am going to outline the various diets which are recognized as vegetarianism. I hope by writing this I can change some attitudes and misunderstandings, of the motivations behind the vegetarian lifestyles.

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular among people in our days, particularly realizing what harm can bring the meat that people eat. According to the article Preface to "Are Meat-Based Diets Bad for the Planet?" by Ed. Amy Francis, “Those who believe that vegetarianism has a positive effect on the environment argue that the massive production of animal products for human consumption can lead to land degradation, water and air pollution, and even a change in climate. Academic research indicates that these detrimental effects accrue as we continue producing meat products.” I totally agree with the author and believe that vegetarianism can prevent many problems. Perhaps you may ask, “Is vegetarianism really a healthy diet?” Of course, vegetarianism can be a healthy diet if you follow the rules of healthy eating such as getting enough protein, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoiding sugars and junk foods. In the culture of vegetarianism, people choose very carefully before they eat something. Many scientists have shown that vegetarians rarely suffer from obesity and high cholesterol levels and live longer that people who eat a lot of meat. Possibly, it influenced by the fact that among the vegetarian less smokers and more wealthy people. Therefore, for proper nutrition people need to soberly assess the state of health and financial capabilities. Some vegetarians do not recommend a sharp stop eating regular food and become a vegetarian because it can harm

Did we bring up the awareness that factory farms generate billions of pounds of dung from meat, all of which arrives at lakes, rivers, and your drinking water? The drugs and bacteria that end up in canals are the number one source of water pollution (“Vegetarianism and”). The only foul-proof solution to not polluting the water is not eating meat at all. Vegetarianism is a path of lifestyle where people chose not to eat meat. There are many reasons why people would decide that route, but 69% of the current vegetarians chose to not eat meat because of their health (“Reason for”); that is the majority! Although meat-eaters get more protein from meat, it is encouraged to switch to vegetarianism because it will protect the rights of many animals, it will help the environment, and it will help people pursue healthy lives.