Vegetarians Essay Research Paper VegetariansHugh BuchananGrowth problems

Vegetarians Essay, Research Paper

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.