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What is this vegetarian movement all about? The most common responses to a vegetarian declaring his or her dietary preferences usually include "But.. where are you going to get your protein?" or "So.. you can't eat cheese?". These statements reflect a general lack of public knowledge as to what vegetarianism is, whether it is a sustainable diet, and why vegetarians choose to be vegetarian. Let's break this down.
Vegetarianism refers to a diet that consists of foods that exclude animal meats or flesh. Beef, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, duck, snails, anything that was once an animal's body is avoided. Pescetarianism, a slightly different diet, is the same as vegetarianism but offers the exception of fish and other seafood. Veganism, on the other hand, is a more restrictive diet, limiting the diet from everything the vegetarian doesn't eat along with any other animal products, including eggs, milk, butter, cheese, or any other food that has come from an animal. Here the line gets a bit blurry Some individuals choose to extend veganism to their entire lifestyle by avoiding using any products that are made of from animals, such as leather. Whether honey can be consumed is a gray line, differing from person-to-person, and everyone has his or her own philosophy of how veganism should be performed.
As to whether or not vegetarianism or veganism are sustainable lifestyles, the answer is yes. In fact some studies seem to prove that vegetarians live longer lives than meat-eaters. The primary concern meat-eaters often express toward vegetarianism is regarding a potential protein deficiency. One point should be made that the human body does not need ample amounts of protein that others make it out to seem. Furthermore, there are non-meat sources of protein that are more than sufficient to provide individuals with the protein their bodies need. Beans, eggs, soy products, nuts, dairy products, tofu, and more.
There are many reasons for becoming a vegetarian. The primary reasons include:
(1) ethical issues regarding the bad treatment of animals in the industry, including both living conditions and the killing tactics used
(2) environmental effects of high demand for animal products (a significant percentage of CO2 emissions come from cows and other animals)
(3) religious reasons usually based on health and ethical concerns of eating animals (these restrictions on meat are especially relevant to those of the Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish faiths)
(4) health incentives (becoming vegetarian often helps individuals lose weight and is known to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and hypertension)
(5) high prices of meat
Humans are omnivores, we are meant to a eat a balanced diet of meat and plants. We have K9's, we do not have a mouth full of flat molars like deer. If someone wants to be a vegetarian because they do not approve of the way in which we process meat, that's there choice. Arguing that a vegetarian diet is healthier than a more protein enriched meat one is just a way vegetarians put themselves on a mythical pedestal above everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at other species, our teeth are relatively flat compared to true carnivores'. Of course I agree that vegetarianism is an individual choice, like many other things, and that nothing should be forced upon everyone. Most interestingly, you comment on a pedestal, which I never really took note of, but I actually feel like I know what you are talking about. There is a possible pedestal that some vegetarians attempt to place themselves on based on the health or moral reasons for their food choices. However, as far as my experience goes, most vegetarians really do make an effort not to be so "in your face" about their vegetarianism. They will expand on it if you ask them, but they usually don't talk about the cruelty or unhealthiness of meat-eating while you're eating your burger. Interestingly enough, people often ask me if "it's OK" that they continue to eat their meal of meat after I reveal my vegetarianism, as if I would be offended that they did such a thing in my presence. I don't know any such vegetarian either, though I would be interested if your experience was different.
DeleteI am skeptical about the implications of your statistic that vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters. That is likely confounded by the fact that most of our meat is increasingly unhealthy due to the nature of its production and the fact that those who choose to abstain from meat are more often very health conscious. I think eating grass-fed lean meats is incredibly healthy. We have evolved over thousands of years to eat these animals. Our brains increased multiple times in size as a result of consuming animal protein over several millennia. Vegetarianism is great, but what about vegetarians who eat processed foods, complex carbs, excess sugar, and are deficient in other necessary nutrients? I think we need a better definition of what it means to be an omnivore and a vegetarian. When discussing the optimal diet we should clarify what quality of food both demographics are consuming.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the quality of food should also be a factor in the vegetarianism discussion. I know plenty of vegetarians who become vegetarians for health purposes but end up eating lots of carbs and sugars rather than enough proteins and vegetables that are needed to sustain the body, at which point the purpose of vegetarianism has failed. At the same time, the fact that the meat in the U.S. compared to other countries is unhealthy should not be factored out of the vegetarianism dialogue as well, because that is a relevant point that actually drives many into vegetarianism in the first place.
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