Oh, you’re vegetarian?
Here, have some cheese with your rabbit food.
By Brooke Greene
Remarks such as these never cease to amaze me. When I first made the decision, it was, “Vegetarians aren’t healthy, they always look sick and on the verge of death!” along with the occasional, “Aw, you’re a tree hugger now?” Currently, all I get is, “Don’t you miss bacon? Don’t you miss the taste?” To be frank, no, I do not. After a while I just stopped craving the taste of meat as well as becoming increasingly disgusted by the thought of eating it (sorry meat-eaters). Anyway, we can laugh and poke fun at the trials and tribulations of vegetarianism, or we can recognize that the level of ignorance regarding this lifestyle is far too high—not to mention that most of the people who are against a vegetarian diet are probably those who should consider it most.
First of all, let’s nullify the popular myth that all a vegetarian is limited to eating are vegetables and fruits. Maybe at the beginning of a herbivorous diet, fleeing from the thoughts of devouring a big, juicy hamburger, can be difficult to manage. However, as time goes on, you may be surprised that meals go beyond throwing some sausages on the grill or filleting a steak. It takes some patience, but vegetarian dishes are downright delicious—there is no denying that.
Furthermore, there are many health benefits that come with switching to a vegetarian lifestyle. The most important, I’d say, is the reduced risk of various cancers and diseases. Just earlier this month, a reported outbreak of salmonella was said to have infected over 220, and causing death to one. Salmonella is spread by exposure to a certain bacteria in meat, poultry, and eggs. In addition, let’s take into consideration the fact that “E. Coli” has become a household term, and outbreaks started surfacing back in 2006—most cases being linked directly to different beefs, steaks, poultry, and other animal-based products. Countless observations have been done to take a closer look at the correlations between cancer risks and meat consumption. In recent studies, The World Health Organization has found that “the high fat content of meat and other animal products increases hormone production, thus increasing the risk of hormone-related cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.”
Let’s set aside the health benefits and realize what you would essentially be doing for the health of others around the world. According to the United Nations, the total amount of land that is used for animals and for the crops that are grown to feed them, now take up roughly 30 percent of Earth’s land mass. There are currently 7 billion livestock, and this is in the United States alone. An experiment has been carried out by the PETA that found that if all the grain that is used to feed farmed animals was used to feed people instead, it could reach roughly 800 million people. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that between the years 2010-2012, roughly 870 million people suffered from chronic undernourishment.
To be brief, switching over to a vegetarian diet is “the bomb.” The real question is not why go vegetarian, but why not go vegetarian?