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
|