Take for example a young lady I was friends with in Australia. She became vegetarian.

Now
she was cool. She only ate vegetarian things like potato chips (french fries for the Americans)
and vegetarian pizza, yeah she was so cool and healthy now....
.... so healthy that she doubled in size in about 4 weeks. From a beautiful slim girl to a
overweight, pasty, pimpled thing. All in the space of about 1 month - I could not believe it. In
fact our friendship stopped soon after, I could not believe she thought she was doing the right
thing when her body was falling apart before her eyes.
Most vegetarians I meet (maybe just the vocal ones) are doing it because it is 'trendy' in their
circles or they had some emotional guilt towards livestock. They do not generally do much
study and then eat a ton of bad foods, in bad quantities and in bad mixes. Since they do not eat
much protein then it means that they often eat more fats and sugars to satisfy their hunger
cravings.... ingesting fat+sugar = you'll become a fat lump.
Proteins are also necessary for your bodies survival. There are a bunch of protein molecules
that your body needs to ingest. These are called essential amino acids in fact 9 of the 20
amino acids your body needs have to be ingested.
From the Northwestern University Website:
Protein from animal sources (meat, fish, dairy products, egg white) is considered high
biological value protein or a "complete" protein because all nine essential amino acids are
present in these proteins. An exception to this rule is collagen-derived gelatin which is lacking
in tryptophan.
Plant sources of protein (grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds) generally do not contain sufficient
amounts of one or more of the essential amino acids. Thus protein synthesis can occur only to
the extent that the limiting amino acids are available. These proteins are considered to have
intermediate biological value or to be partially complete because, although consumed alone
they do not meet the requirements for essential amino acids, they can be combined to provide
amounts and proportions of essential amino acids equivalent to high biological proteins from
animal sources.
Plants that are entirely lacking in essential amino acids are considered incomplete proteins or
sources of low biological value protein. These sources include most fruits and vegetables. A
low biological value means that it is difficult or impossible to compensate for insufficient
amounts of essential amino acids by combining different sources as with partially complete
proteins.
Now comes the fun part. If you have an essential amino acid deficiency your body your body
needs to get the essentials aminos from somewhere - your body begins to cannabilise itself.
This leads to a condition known as Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
PEM has the following clinical features: weight loss, diarrhea, loss of lean body mass, muscle
weakness, depigmented hair and skin, pressure sores, and depressed immune function.
WOW! Healthy now aren't we?
Protein is a needed part of your diet, not just any protein - a correctly balanced complete
protein. Meat eater do not need to worry about this, just near starving people in
underdeveloped countries surviving on grains and vegetarians.

Anyone who states that protein is bad or that we do not need it had better get out and do some
reading before they become like those sickly hippie types I used to see at Uni, all being
vegetarians because it was cool - all sickly pasty and energy less

The health argument

Many vegetarians argue that their lifestyle makes them healthier than those who eat meat.
Although we certainly wont discredit the many benefits of a vegetarian diet, theres reason to
believe that a well-balanced omnivorous diet is a far healthier choice. Studies have repeatedly
shown that vegetarians who fail to supplement their diets with Vitamin D, B12 and iron are
prone to becoming dangerously anemic. Vegetarians also typically miss out on omega-3 fatty
acids. These unsaturated acids have been proved to slow the progression of atherosclerosis,
reduce triglyceride levels, act as anti-inflammatory agents, and potentially help with
depression and some personality disorders.
Researchers at Oxford University recently followed 35,000 individuals aged 20 to 89 for a
period of five years and discovered that vegans are 30% more likely to break a bone than their
vegetarian and flesh-eating peers. A subsequent study conducted by Sydneys Garvan
Institute for Medical Research found that vegetarians had bones 5% less dense than meateaters. This can be attributed to the fact that many vegetarians and vegans consume very little
calcium due to the limitations of their diet.

The moral argument

Many vegetarians argue that gods creatures shouldnt be sacrificed simply to appease our
craving for a thick, juicy rib eye. While there may be some merit to their arguments, their
rationale also reeks of hypocrisy. Although vegetarians openly decry the slaughter of animals,
they think nothing of tearing carrots and spuds out of the earth or of sticking a zucchini into a
high-speed blender. Like it or not, plants are also living organisms that respond to stimuli like
light, gravity and touch. In fact, some groups even believe plants can feel pain. Take the
Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology, for instance. This Swiss group recently
came out in defense of our leafy green friends in a report on the dignity of the creature in the
plant world. They argued that plants deserve respect and that killing them arbitrarily is
morally wrong

First up let me say I am not bashing vegetarians who have done thier studies and have taken
to vegetarianism in a sensible, healthy manner. This article is not for them, I admire anyone
who takes their health seriously enough to take responsibility for it. Anyone who undertakes
serious self studies for his health is on the right track.
I also respect those whose religions do not permit it, though the traditional diets of these
people are well balanced and complete, even if they are fat heavy and lead to obesity.
However I am meeting an increasing number of fools who are now vegetarian and righteous
about it - somewhat like the reformed smoker who annoys all current smokers. You made you
decision, OK, I have made mine. I do not try to shove a 500g juicy BBQ T-Bone steak down
your throat. I don't want your "vegetarianism"
From the Northwestern University Website:

The humane treatment argument

Another issue that some vegetarians take personally is the way in which cuddly little lambs
are turned into delicious lamb chops. Well be the first to admit that traditional
slaughterhouses should be condemned. However, there are plenty of organizations that raise -and kill -- animals humanely. One of them is Humane Farm Animal Care, a nonprofit
organization created to improve the lives of farm animals by certifying their humane
treatment. When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label on a product, you
can be assured that the products in question have come from facilities that meet precise,
objective standards for animal treatment. Other organizations, like the American Humane
Association (AHA), offer meat certifications to farms that practice humane farming
techniques. Their standards are based upon the values of the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals, as well as input from animal science experts and veterinarians.

The environmental argument

Many vegetarians argue that the cultivation of meat harms the environment. However, they
fail to recognize that the cultivation of fruits and vegetables can also have dire environmental
implications. Consider this: the vast majority of non-organic farms still use pesticides and
insecticides that kill off just as many beneficial predators as pests, thereby leaving natures
delicate balance in disarray. These dangerous chemicals also frequently leach into water
supplies where they can cause harmful neurological effects when consumed by humans and
animals alike. Speaking of water, the cultivation of vegetables requires vast amounts of it,
which in turn can cause water shortages and, in extreme cases, drought. Fruit and vegetable
farms also harm the environment through the burning of agricultural waste and the production
of oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer.

While were on the topic of air pollution, it should be noted that vegetarians also produce
more gas than meat-eaters. The problem lies in the human body's inability to fully digest the
complex carbohydrates in the vegetarian diet, resulting in higher production of gases like
hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane.

Every year in Canada more than 25 million animals are slaughtered for human consumption. The
companies that manufacture and kill these animals for food represent a multibillion-dollar industry,
which requires 2500 gallons of water just to produce one pound of meat. Also a single pig factory
generates raw waste equal to that of a city of 12,000 people. Finally eating animal products is bad
for human health because it leads directly to many diseases and illnesses such as, heart attack,
stroke, cancer, and osteoporosis. For these reasons individuals should live their lives without
consuming anything that comes from animals

Everyday most of the worlds population eats meat products, while small percentage have chosen
different life style by being vegetarian. Vegetarian diets are full of flavor, essential nutrients and
everything else needed to maintain a healthy body. There are various advantages of vegetarian diet
such as reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, low cholesterol level, lower incidence of
hypertension and high blood pressure than meat eaters. Meat diet is not considered a healthy choice
because it has many risks such as various cancers, high blood pressure, heart attack, high cholesterol
and many risk factors.
Vegetables are beneficial to human body as Albert Einstein describes Nothing will benefit human
health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian
diet (Richard 2). What exactly are vegetables? There are many different kinds of vegetables such as
cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, celery, corn, eggplant, turnip, broccoli, peas, radish, squash or
pumpkin. Regular consumption of vegetables is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular
disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and cancer (Liu 1). There are many arguments why
vegetarian diet is b

The value of being a vegetarian

Man needs food to live. Food can be classified into two groups -- vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Man perhaps started as a non-vegetarian because we know ancient times man
hunted for food. Then he learnt to eat fruits. Much later he mastered agriculture and began
growing grains, to make food and these were used as supplements to meat. In most of the
countries even today non-vegetarian food forms the major part of the normal diet.
Pure vegetarianism may be said to be a product of the East. With the coming of Buddhism
and Jainism some twenty five centuries ago animal sacrifice was looked down as cruelty to
animals was condemned. Great emperors and kings, like Ashoka preached love for all animals
and slowly men began turning to vegetables for food. The knowledge of cooking might have
encouraged vegetarianism because different tasty dishes could be made with vegetables and
food grains.
Both types of diets go to build the body and supply the necessary energy. In certain aspects
the non-vegetarian diet may be better in that it supplies the necessary protein and fats required
by the body easily. Liver content from non-vegetarian food may be helpful to keep the liver
functioning well and supplies certain types of vitamins. Those who argue in favor of non
vegetarian diet point to milk which is in every sense non-vegetarian and which every
vegetarian takes without objection. But extreme vegetarians like Gandhi were against even
milk. In fact for a very long time Gandhi went without taking milk though later he took goat's
milk on doctor's advice. Why milk is tolerated is because it does not involve the cruelty of
killing, though milking the cow at the cost of the calf may involve cruelty.
A vegetarian diet can supply all the necessary food items needed by the body except that it
may be deficient in the required amount of protein in our food. Vegetables are harmless to the
body compared to a non vegetarian diet. For instance, meat, if not carefully kept and handled
may carry diseases. A vegetarian diet is definitely deficient in Vitamin B and C for which the
a vegetarian will have to depend on a supplementary such as pills and tablets to keep up his
strength.
Another point in favor of vegetarianism is men's denture and the long intestines point to the
fact that man could best be a vegetarian. Economically vegetarian food is cheap; vegetables
and fruits end greens are delectable and beautiful to look at.
The argument that non-vegetarian food makes one strong is shallow. There are great
intellectuals among vegetarians. Gandhi and Shaw were great vegetarians. It is a matter of
habit if one could overcome being e slave to the tongue, vegetables can do as much good as a
non-vegetarian diet.

et me explain further ....

I do not feel that consuming animals serves humanity on any level and I can state this for
quite a few reasons however I will keep my response much shorter to just two of the main key
points why.

1) Did you Know that living a Vegetarian Lifestyle Could Help Impact MASSIVE Changes in
Global Warming?
Well here are just a few reasons why . . .
It takes 22 times the acres of land to meet the food energy needs of one person eating meat
than it does for one person eating potatoes.
It takes more than 13 times the water to produce one day's food supply for an omnivore than it
does for a vegan.
It takes 27 times the petroleum to produce a hamburger than it does a soy burger.
The land animals confined and killed every year excrete 130 times the faeces and urine
produced by humans.
Livestock production also utilizes more than eight percent of global water use, primarily for
feed-crop irrigation.
The annual greenhouse gas output from burger consumption is the equivalent to the annual
greenhouse gas output from between four and 13 million SUVs.
In the Amazon, approximately 60-70 percent of deforestation results from cattle ranches and
soybean cultivation.
And according to a UN FAO report, "in all, livestock production amounts to 70 percent of all
agricultural land and 30 percent of the land surface of this planet." The USDA says growing
crops for animals takes up 80 percent of the agricultural land in the US and animals raised for
food in the US consume 90 percent of the soy crop, 80 percent of the corn and 70 percent of
its grain.
(Ref: VegNews)
2) Do You Remember being told to Eat your Fruit and Vegetables as a Child (or you might
not grow up big and strong)?
Well by replacing animal foods with plant foods this helps reduce saturated fat and
cholesterol and increases healthy fiber, vitamin C, folate and carotenoids.
Research has shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can decrease the risk of having a
heart attack or stroke, protect against a variety of cancers, lower blood pressure plus has many
other health benefits to help you prevent disease.
According to Dr T. Colin Campbell, nutritional researcher at Cornell University and director
of the largest epidemiological study in history, "The vast majority of all cancers,
cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented simply by
adopting a plant-based diet." (i.e. a pure vegetarian diet with no animal by-products).
Plus just think about this for a moment: some of the world's largest and strongest animals are
pure vegetarians e.g. The Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Rhino, Cattle, Horses, Gorilla etc. And

they seem to be thriving very well living off vegetation and have done so for many hundreds
of years. . . . So does this not at least show you that to grow up big and strong we as humans
too can gain all of the nutrients and dietary requirements solely from plant sources alone? Of
course it does - common sense confirms this statement plus there have been countless studies
with much evidence to show that a pure vegetarian diet is one of the healthiest choices you
can make for you, the animals and the planet.
After reading the above 2 key points can you see more awareness that just maybe animal
consumerism on all levels does not serve humanity and only adds to the suffering, disease and
unhealthy environment for every species that lives on this planet we call EARTH.
The moral to my ranting is this, the 'right or wrong' argument actually might just be an
illusion in my humble opinion, who's right or wrong does not even exist. The real truth to life
should be about what serves or what does not serve.
I personally believe that pure vegetarian living does serve humanity in so many positive ways
it would take me a book to explain them all, but to sum it up in four simple words I would
have to say it means 'positive evolution for all.'
So are you educated enough to figure out the answer that might just serve you and your loved
ones for the positive? If you look into it without falling prey to the illusionary conditions of
society you may just figure out that what serves you as a living being on this planet might just
serve every other being (no matter if they are human or animal)

Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/vegetarian/vegetariandebate.php#ixzz0vYWuHayk

ok this is my first time on this website but i had to register to show you the
errors in your post:
"Vegetarians who do not eat meat say that demand can be decreased, and
thus can production. This results in lower loss of animal life. Before fewer
cattle are slaughtered, it is likely that the mortality rate would increase
instead. Farmers who do not have the revenue to support their livestock will
slaughter what they cannot continue to support. Even repurposing a
percentage of livestock to production of methane or dairy would not
compensate for the loss. With this fresh slaughter, supply for meat will go
up and prices will go down."
no theres less loss of life because yes, more animals died at that point in
time than they would have if the farmer hadnt lost some of the money he

would have earned if no one had turned vegeterian, however now that the
herd is reduced aslong as those people who turned vegeterian stay
vegeterian, then he has a smaller herd of animals for the rest of his farmer
life and each time it comes to slaughtering his animals he kills less than he
would have with a bigger herd
"Let us not think of the loss of animal life if the industry collapsed altogether
and meat fell out of favor. Without the industry to supply money to buy feed
or grazing land, livestock will not be fed. If this industry collapsed overnight,
livestock would starve to death."
If everyone went vegan overnight we'd have the same compassion for
humans as animals and thus would not let these animals starve and give
them aid as we would in a sunami situation for people, as it takes less land
to supply a population on vegetation than on meat (fact) we would have
exess land from where we used to keep animals for meat and since
everyones turned into compassionate vegans overnight in the goverment
aswell they would desegnate the now not needed land to nature parks for
the animals to live in and employ people to take care of them i.e. the now
farmers, provide food and breed them back to their previous wild states so
they could survive on their own eventualy
"Decreasing demand, even gradually, means you are preventing the birth of
countless livestock. Lets focus on that. They will never be born. Is it morally
right to decide that something in particular should never exist because you
dont agree with its life cycle? Is not being allowed to experience life at any
better than having your life ended by another species preying on you?"
if humans where being bread kept in captivity within certain land and where
killed after a few years, wouldnt you prefer that you sterilise say 75% of the
population and put them into nature parks not to be killed ever again
"To be clear, these creatures have been serving in this function for literally
thousands of years. This is a symbiotic relationship. In so many ways, their
strength is our strength. We have depended on them and they depend on
us. If things were different, wed need to morally accept the lack of
proliferation of the species or even their very existence as we know them
today. If those that are left are released into the wild, the impact they would
have on the ecosystem would also be profound. It would be horrible to

attempt to correct a mistake and only make things much worse in the
process."
no you could employ the farmers to look after them as they do now and
breed the sheep with less fur and longer legs, the cows with biggest horns
etc
"Animal cruelty is a terrible thing. I agree that our livestockas with all
lifeshould be treated respectfully, and not be abused. It is my opinion that
those who express their passion over being vegetarian should repurpose
their energy to that end. They are boasting the morality of doing something
that would lead to the destruction of these species. All the while, millions of
animals are being abused. Even if you have health, religious, spiritual or
simple dietary preference (ie flavor/texture) concerns, please consider the
moral implications of what happens to our livestock."
no it is better to let them have a full life rather than killing them in the middle
just because they died in apsolute no pain or fear

reason become vegi

People Become Vegetarians for Health Reasons

Perhaps one of the most common reasons people choose a vegetarian lifestyle is for health
reasons. Consider this fact: "The total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to
meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year," according to Health Benefits
of Vegetarian Diets. The website also states that another benefit of a meatless way of eating is
that consuming plants offers protection from cancer.
Due to the increased fiber found in most vegetarian diets, other benefits include fewer
gastrointestinal problems or discomfort. The above website also states that vegetarians have
fewer problems with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, food-borne illness (such as E. coli and
salmonella), and strokes. Considering that-according to the Centers for Disease Control-heart
disease, cancer, and stroke are the top three causes of death in America (diabetes is number
six on the list), many people have good reasons for avoiding the consumption of meat.

People Become Vegetarians for Environmental Reasons

Many people worry about the impact a meat-based diet has on the environment. Considering
recent concerns about climate change and global warming, it's no wonder many people look
to their eating habits and decide to change.
GoVeg.com boldly states, "The most serious environmental problems of our time are all
directly linked to eating meat." The website outlines the grave environmental impact a meatbased diet causes. Some vegetarians who aren't necessarily concerned about their health
worry about their carbon footprint and choose a meatless diet for that reason alone.

Read on

What's a Vegan, Vegetarian, Fruitarian?

Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy?
What is a Vegetarian?

People Become Vegetarians for Ethical Reasons

Some vegetarians-many of them vegans-choose not to eat meat for ethical reasons. These
people often object to eating meat because it means that an animal had to die to feed them,
and sustaining their own life by killing an animal is not a good enough reason to eat meat.
Many vegans also feel that eating dairy products (including eggs) or other animal products
(like honey) exploits animals and, thus, choose not to eat any animal-based foods.

Becoming a Vegetarian is a Personal Choice

Some vegetarians have chosen this lifestyle not for one but multiple reasons. Whatever the
case, there is no end to the amount of information available to anyone who decides to change
her eating habits.

Read more at Suite101: Reasons to Become Vegetarian: Why People Choose a Meatless or
Vegan Lifestyle http://vegetarianissues.suite101.com/article.cfm/reasons_to_become_vegetarian#ixzz0vYXphgxx