Many people choose to eat meatless diets for a variety of reasons, and they have plenty of company. According to a Vegetarian Times article, 7.3 million Americans are vegetarians. Pure vegetarians eat no meat at all. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat meat, but do consume eggs and dairy products. Pescetarians eat no meat except fish. The strictest are vegans, those who consume no animal products at all, including meat, eggs, dairy, honey and gelatin. Eating any variety of meatless diet has many benefits.
Health
Meatless diets have many health benefits. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, diets high in meat are associated with higher rates of breast and colon cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. A 1999 University of Oxford study led by T. J. Key and published in "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society" discovered that Western people eating a vegetarian diet also had a lower body mass index, lower cholesterol levels and a lower risk of gallstones, diverticulitis and appendicitis.
Environmental
Vegetarian diets benefit the environment. The environmental organization Earth Save states that eating meat contributes to global warming because cattle release methane gas, increasing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Growing animals for food is also environmentally wasteful because it uses water and fossil fuels. The group Mercy for Animals says that 70 percent of U.S. grain crops are fed to animals, and it takes 441 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, compared to only 14 gallons of water in producing a pound of wheat.
Animal Rights
Many vegetarians choose not to eat meat out of concern for animals. Factory farms often keep animals in inhumane conditions. Animals are housed in crowded cages which restrict their mobility and keep them unhealthy. They do not get regular access to sunlight or fresh air, and the Happy Cow guide says they may be fed the remains of other animals. Farmers administer growth hormones to help animals grow faster, and give high doses of antibiotics when animals get sick as a result of the overcrowding.
References
- Vegetarian Times: Vegetarianism in America
- The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society: Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet; TJ Key et al, May 1999
- Earth Save: Vegetarianism as a Tool Against Climate Change
- Mercy for Animals: Eating Meat Wastes Resources
- Happy Cow Compassionate Eating Guide: Animal Rights and Vegetarianism
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