Vegetarianism

As of 2002, there were over four percent of Canadians leading some form of a vegetarian lifestyle; living on a diet consisting wholly or primarily of non-animal products. The term vegetarian comes from the Latin word vegetative, meaning vigorous, not vegetable, contrary to what many people believe. Provided that the individual maintains a balanced diet, vegetarianism can be a very healthy decision, and is beneficial in many ways. People decide to become a vegetarian for many reasons, including animal rights, ethics, heath or nutrition, religion or environmental reasons. For some, the issue of animal rights is central; animals raised for food are often kept in inhumane conditions. In addition, there are many negative effects of the environment and the world because of the waste of land, money and food used to raise animals for food production. Another benefit of vegetarianism is health related. Although eliminating meat from one’s diet is a controversial idea it has been proven by many studies that vegetarians are more likely to lead a longer and healthier life than meat eaters are. Celebrity and historical figures that were vegetarians include Thomas Edison, Mahatma Ghandi, Mr Rogers and Alicia Silverstone. Becoming a vegetarians creates a healthier population, reduces animal suffering and has a very positive effect on the world by preserving valuable land and resources wasted in the raising of animals for food production.

Many studies have shown that vegetarians are more likely to lead a longer, healthier life than individuals that have a lot of meat in their diets. Although some people are concerned about a lack of iron, calcium and zinc in meatless diets, supplements are available and there are also many other foods that provide the same dietary requirements as a non-vegetarian diet without the unnecessary added fat of animal products. Significant portions of medical groups and doctors have begun advising their patients to reduce the amount of meat that they consume. In 1996, the American Cancer Society recommended that meat be excluded from the diet of anyone with a high risk of cancer. Cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products can clog the arteries, increasing risks of heart problems. The Official 1993 position paper of the American Diabetic Association said that a vegetarian diet is “healthy and nutritionally accurate” and that vegan diets are healthy, even for children. A relationship has also been found between vegetarian diets and reduced risks of coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Additionally, most food related sicknesses such as salmonella poisoning are from the consumption of animal products and there is also the issue of diseases being transmitted from one species to another, such as mad cow disease, which now has a human form. Many sick animals are still slaughtered, causing potential health risks. Dr. William Castelli, director of the Framingham Health Study supports a vegetarian lifestyle, saying “vegetarians outlive meat eaters by 3 to 6 years”. Meat can easily be contaminated by improper sanitation or slaughter procedures, spreading illness in humans. As well many food animals are injected with antibiotics and fed hormones to make them grow unnaturally large, giving breeders a greater profit. Some fish have been found to contain toxins from a polluted environment. According to the FDA, it is legal for farmers to feed chicken manure to their cattle as long as it is composted first. This is a common procedure as it allows farmers to save money on feed costs. Becoming a vegetarian can also be a healthy decision for athletes, as complex carbohydrates can still be consumed without the added fat of meat. Clearly, becoming a vegetarian has many health and nutrition benefits, making vegetarianism an excellent decision for anyone wishing to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Most of the meat consumed by North Americans comes from factory-farmed animals that are often kept in inhumane and unnatural conditions. The Animal Welfare Act doesn’t apply to food animals, giving the farm owners a lot of freedom in their decisions over how to care for and dispose of these animals. Each year, 10 billion animals are slaughtered for food in North America, and 90% of these animals are raised in confinement; some of them never even see the outdoors. The anthropocentricity of humans means that most people don’t consider the fact that each of these 10 billion animals has a form of intelligence and emotion, and that they are being subjected to cruel treatment for the sake of profit. Many shortcuts are taken to increase the net profit of factory farmers. For example, ducks can be force fed 6 to 7 pounds of grain up to 3 times daily with a feeder tube to bloat them in order to have more meat to sell- provided that their stomachs to not burst first, which would render them useless to the food industry.