Essay/Term paper: Vegetarians

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science

Vegetarians


Hugh Buchanan

Growth problems. Animal population problems. Disease. These are all problems
caused by being a vegetarian, that is, one who only eats vegetables. There are
different degrees of being a vegetarian. To one extreme, is a person who eats
nothing associated with animals (no yogurt, ice-cream, or even anything that has
come in contact with meat or another animal). The opposite are those who just
eat vegan most of the time and will still eat animal bi-products. Then there
are others who are in between.

Being a vegetarian is not natural. Since the beginning of time, humans have
been consuming animals. A vegetarians diet lacks energy, calcium, zinc, and
vitamins (B-12 and D). Without supplements, severe medical problems can arise.
Also, those supplements are usually man made and do not require some of
substances, still un-identified, in meat.

A carnivorous diet has always been in American history. Turkey is eaten on
Thanksgiving, not Tofu Surprise. Fish on Fridays, not salad. Pop and son would
go hunting in the winter for fresh game to eat, they wouldn"t go picking berries
and roots. Those who could not or would not eat meat did not survive.

Studies have been done by M. J. Lentze, a German who found that vegetarianism
causes impaired growth in children five years or younger. Vegan children even
fail to grow as well with supplements that exceed the Recommended Daily
Allowance.

It is true that many vegetables contain a high amount of protein, but the amount
is not even close in comparison to meat. To get the same amount of protein from
vegetables as you would from just one pound of meat (although most people don"t
eat this much meat anyway!), you would be eating for hours.

Most people become vegetarians because of the Animal Rights Movement (ARM). But
in fact, the movement has "elevated ignorance about the natural world" according
to Richard Coniff. If you give rights to animals, you should give rights to
plants. Think of how they feel, often they are consumed before they even die!

If we all went vegetarian, the animal population would increase dramatically.
In fact, if there were too many animals, us humans would starve because the
animals require a large amount of plant based food.

The Greeks knew that moderation is good. Too much of anything is bad. That is
how many Americans live, they have a little bit (or a lot of) everything.

I am not saying that the government should ban being a vegan, but I do think
education is important. Few know of the ramifications of being a vegetarian.
Sadly, when one parent becomes vegetarian, not only does the spouse end up
having to follow along, but so do the children. This in effect causes growth to
be impaired in the children.

Doctors should talk to their patients about their dietary habits. To save money
is not a good reason to be vegetarian.

A human being can receive a diet that reduces the risk for chronic degenerative
diseases without becoming a vegetarian. The best thing to do is to reduce the
amount of fat in one"s diet, although not totally eliminate fat since your body
needs it.

Thanksgiving is often the only exception for vegans, except the occasional trip
to McDonalds and/or Burger King in secret.

As for the young bachelor vegan, being a vegetarian inconveniences the hostess
of the night. Not all people (in fact, very few) know how to cook vegan style.
When little Johnny goes to Jane"s house for dinner, Jane"s mom will cook pot
roast. What will little Johnny do for dinner? How could he not eat the food?
He wants to make himself look good in front of Jane and her family... what a
problem.

It was also an "in" thing at one point, it may still be, for teens to be vegan.
We are still growing, we should not deprive ourselves of meat, and the vital
nutrients in meat.

It would probably be going too far to treat it as an eating disorder, but in
some cases, it should be. I knew a girl who found herself over-weight all the
time. At one point she decided to not eat meat or fat, but she still ate salads
and other assorted vegan meals. Immediately we saw a decrease in her weight,
but we also noticed the lack of energy she had, and the depression. It got to a
point where she even looked at or smelled fat/meat, she would vomit. I do not
know if she ever obtained counseling, but in her case, she had a problem. I am
sure there are many others out there.

It is not normal to be vegetarian. It is not healthy to be a vegeterian. It is
not the American way to be vegetarian.