The Pros And Cons Of Vegetarianism

One of the most common moral debates is that of whether one should become vegetarian or not. Some of the factors that help tip that scale include religious practices and beliefs, environmental issues, animal rights and health issues. Vegetarianism is no longer a question of morality surrounding the maltreatment and slaughter of many innocent animals, but also on how hugely livestock production is affecting our environment. Furthermore, many people choose to become vegetarian, or quit eating certain meats, for religious purposes or in the best interest of their health. Vegetarianism, being such a large part of our current society, is met with three different reactions: acceptance, tolerance and hostility.

“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.

Vegetarians are people who do not eat meat, and for some, do not consume any animal products at all. Vegetarian has been along for a long time and with time has grown the controversy over the topic. The reasons that vegetarianism has grown into a controversial topic are mostly the human beliefs and health reasons associated with it.

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.

For years vegetarian and vegan diets have been gaining popularity. This rise in popularity is due largely to the belief that a vegetarian diet has numerous health benefits and the animals being raised to be slaughtered are not being treated humanely. These are both good reasons for adopting a meat-free lifestyle, but there is an even more pressing reason. The current rate of meat consumptions, especially in developed nations, is consuming natural resources at a rate that is not sustainable. The amount of resources such as land, water, and crops consumed to support meat production is staggering. In addition to the resource consumption, meat production is also contributing to critical global environmental issues such as deforestation and ozone depletion.

In a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2003, it was estimated that there are approximately 2 billion people that live primarily on a meat-based diet while approximately 4 billion people live primarily on a plant-based diet (Pimentel, 2003). With this information we can deduce just how much of a difference in environmental effects there are between a vegetarian diet and a diet that consumes meat. For example, in this study it was found that the average amount of fossil fuel energy used for 1 kilocalorie of animal-based protein was 11 times more than that for 1 kilocalorie of grain protein. This statistic shows that the mass production of animal meat-based foods requires a much larger amount of the already limited amount of fossil fuels that are on Earth than plant-based food. By examining this fact, it is not a broad leap to assume that in reducing the worlds extravagant use of animal meat for consumption we could not only preserve the natural resources we have but also assist in reducing factors that add to climate change. Although the argument could be made that because both the vegetarian diet and a diet with meat in it use a large amount of resources there would be no difference in reducing the effects that the agriculture industry has on climate change but that is simply not true. While it is true that both diets use a large amount of resources, across the board the meat-based diet uses a much larger amount of resources. In fact, in the study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition it states, “The meat-based diet requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian [vegetarian] diet.” Although both are considered unsustainable, this study provides very valid evidence that the vegetarian diet is more sustainable than that of a meat-based

The Vegetarian/Vegan diet is a very intense debate right now. There are so many people and organizations involved in the fight, and it gets very biased very quickly. On the one side, people claim that it is healthier for us to cut meat out of our diet. While the other side claims that it is healthier to keep meat in our diet. This debate gets very confusing, very fast. When looking into the science side of things, it is said that the human body needs meat and the nutrients that we receive from meat, which is why the vegetarian diet is not as healthy as it seems.

1. “Nearly 70% of married men and 60% of married women have had affairs, and, among my clients, 8 out of 10 who have committed adultery regret having done so. It’s reasonable to conclude, then, that about 80% of all adulterers regret having cheated.” –Holly Hein, Sexual Detours. This passage as an argument because there are 2 or more claims present. I practice using the numbering method to complete this diagram: (1) 70% of married men and 60% of married women have had affairs. (2) 8 out of 10 who have committed adultery regret having done so. (3) A bout 80% of adulterers regret cheating. (1) + (2) = (3). This here shows that (1) and (2) are the foundation for (3) the conclusion. Now, I must decide If this is an argument or

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

It reduces the risk of certain diseases. For example, heme iron, such as that found in red meats, has been linked with cancer. As per Cancer Prevention Research, “Red meat and processed meat intake is associated with a risk of colorectal cancer, a major cause of death in affluent countries. Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that heme iron present in meat promotes colorectal cancer.” The iron found in green vegetable does not contain heme. Moreover, further research shows that vegetarians have a lower risk of cancer in general, not just colorectal cancer. As stated on procon.org,“A March 12, 2012 peer-reviewed study of 121,342 people found that eating red meat was associated with an increased risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease.” In addition, a vegetarian diet also promotes a healthier weight. According to a study of 37, 875 healthy mean and women by the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford), mean Body Mass Index(BMI) was highest among non-vegetarians and lowest among vegans and vegetarians. Difference in macronutrient intakes accounted for about half the difference, with high protein and lower fibre intake being associated with a high BMI. Vegetarianism is also better for the environment. According to chooseveg.com, nearly 80% of the

In the totality of the United States, there are around 7.3 million people that identify as a vegetarian. Although that may seem like a lot, that’s only approximately 3.2 percent of the nationwide population (“Vegetarianism in America”). Alternatively, that means that nearly 319 million people in America eat meat, and a lot of meat at that. Studies show that the average American eats almost 275 lbs of meat every year (ProCon). However, it’s been proven again and again by numerous studies that meat isn’t necessary for a balanced, nutritious diet but rather can be quite detrimental to humans and modern day society (Walker). Vegetarianism should be the globally accepted diet because of the numerous health benefits, a lessened impact on the environment,

Some argue that a vegetarian diet isn’t actually healthy for you because you don’t get the necessary nutrients that you would get from eating meat. When in reality when a vegetarian diet is well balanced it is actually healthier than a meat-oriented diet. “Vegetarians suffer less from heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a variety of other diet-related diseases which now cost the United States alone over $1.2 trillion each year” (Fergusson). Vegetarians are less likely to develop life altering diseases. That is because vegetarian diets are typically low in fat and high in

Cutting meat from our diet seems impossible to most Americans, as the average American consumes 72.2 pounds of read meat, and 54.1 pounds of poultry, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture. But like every culture their is a subculture in which 3.2 percent of U.S adults or 7.3 million people, follow a strict vegetarian-straight diet. Vegans hopes to spread their ideology that eating no animals, or animal based products, will not only help your health, but also the health of where everyone in the world lives, our planet. Is it really possible that our planet is being destroyed because we eat meat? And can every culture adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle? Should the consumption of meat be curtailed rather than given up at all? We will explore that facts on the effects of live-stock, how only vegan world would look like, if its possible to completely convert a culture based on not eating meat, and conclude if we should convert our nation, to a vegan nation.

If you picture the stereotypical American meal, you may think of outrageous portion sizes, fatty foods, and mountains and mountains of meat. Last year, the average American consumed around 194 lbs. of beef, chicken, or pork, increasing from 184lbs in 2012 (Hill). While there is a notable increase in the amount of meat consumed, it should also be noted that there has been a gradual shift in the diets of people throughout the world. More are more people are removing meat from their diets and going vegetarian for various reasons. There are several viewpoints that this essay will cover, these range from why people are choosing to go vegetarian to why people are continuing the omnivore diet.

Consumption of meat by humans creates several problems. First and foremost, raising animals for food compromises the environment. For example, it takes a large amount of natural resources to sustain the meat industry. The use of water, land, and food to raise animals for human consumption is not an efficient use of our limited resources. In contrast, it is more efficient to feed humans directly than to use land, food, and water to feed animals to be used as food. There are shortages of fertile land, clean water, and food in several third world countries. Many of these countries’ resources are allocated to produce feed for animals in developed countries around the world. As a result, the citizens of these countries are stricken with water and food shortages, while their crops are feeding cattle from across the globe. However, this problem can be solved by adopting a vegan diet. The vegan diet will allow a more efficient use of resources that in turn can be used to feed starving men, women, and children throughout the world. Consequently, more people in the world could be fed if the land used to grow feed for animals was used to grow food for humans.