THE MORALITY OF EATING MEAT

The morality of eating meat is subject to critique as people in the world take different
approaches to justify their views. The morality of meat eating goes hand in hand with the rights
of animals. The ethics that govern the justification of eating meat create a kind of contradiction
between the lovers of meat and those who view eating meat as a form of hurting animals. The
question as to whether the inclusion of children to the awareness of animal rights and the
concerns of meat eating is debatable. Could you imagine the world without animals? The
consumption of meat products is immoral and leads to a higher prevalence of diseases associated
with high cholesterol. Moreover, the killing of animals leads is against animal rights. For this
reason, meat should be banned from human consumption.
Human health relies on a variety of nutrients to increase the chances of survival in the
world. Vegetables, fruits, and seeds provide a large percentage of the nutrients needed for the
nourishment of the body. Meat on the hand, provide fats, minerals and vitamins such as zinc,
vitamin B12 and iron (Zamir 86). The nutrients found in meat are also present in vegetables. For
example, iron found in red meat has a lesser value than the iron found in vegetables, seeds such
as beans and whole grains. Why then do people eat meat? The justification given by the lovers of
meat is that the monotonous behavior of eating vegetables lacks variety and leads to boredom. To
counter the boredom, they adapt to eating meat than vegetables.
The health of a person relies on exercise and proper diets. The consumption of meat
especially red meat has an effect on the health of a human being. Zamir explains that red meat
contains a high amount of unsaturated fat which poses a high risk to the health of an individual
(98). The intake of red meat increases the levels of cholesterol in the body that leads to a high

potential of heart failures and obesity (Pilcher 468). For example, imagine a case of two
alcoholics who have different diets. One is purely vegetarian while the other eats meat. The
person who is likely to become overweight and have cholesterol related diseases is the one who
indulges in diets that contain meat. If meat poses such dangerous risk to a human body, then why
should people continue partaking of it?
The process of killing animals to acquire food is immoral. The animals have nerves,
meaning that they can sense and feel pain, fear and excitement like the human beings. The
neurological system of the animals differs from the humans regarding cognitive skills (Zamir
95). The act of killing animals subjects them to pain which is equivalent to murder. The nonvegetarians argue that rearing livestock for the purpose of eating them is moral since they live in
good conditions and eat good food. The fact that animals cause soil erosion and degradation
leads to killing to obtain food and preserve the environment.
Animal rights consist of regulations that govern the living conditions and treatment by
humans. The rights demand that the human beings should treat animals in a humane way. The
right to no violence, murder, better living conditions and treatment show that animals have an
important aspect in the world (Pilcher 462). The process of rearing animals for slaughter for food
and economic benefits goes against the animal welfare. The slaughter of a cow in a homestead is
the same as the killing of a cheetah in the special nature reserves. Both acts result in murder
since the lifespan of the animal is cut short. Furthermore, the animals do not give consent to their
murder for food purposes.
The products generated from animals such as milk and eggs create a controversy among
the vegetarians. Pilcher states that a distinctive vegan does not consume eggs or any dairy
product such as milk, cheese or yogurt since they consider it inhumane (464). The argument

behind the practice states that a cow undergoes artificial insemination to prolong lactation that
reduces the cows milk producing lifespan from 20 years to five years. The calves lack the bond
created through breastfeeding since they feed on milk replacement products. On the other hand,
the urge to acquire more eggs makes some people to kill male chicks, retaining the female ones.
The inhumane conditions subjected to the animals make it immoral to partake of the animal
products.
Children are the future of the society. Teaching children about the importance of morality,
when choosing the type of food to eat is important. Imagine a rogue nation without the ability to
choose between the wrong and right type of foods (Pilcher 375). The nation would consist of
people eating any animal they come across including snakes, people, and rats. This is evident
since some people argue that our consumption of animal foods is traditional and that many
animal foods are culturally significant (Francione). Awareness of the welfare and rights of
animals instills important values in children such as taking good care of animals around them.
The dangers of meat on the health of humans create an awareness of healthy eating behaviors
among the children.
The morality of eating meat concerns different aspects of the human life such as the
beliefs, values, and health. McWilliams argues that a meat eaters pleasure derived in such
actions is outweighed by the suffering of an animal. The rearing of livestock for food purposes is
wrong since the animals do not give consent to their subjection to such matters. Practices such as
denying calves the opportunity to breastfeed and killing male chicks to preserve female chicks
enhance the immorality present in partaking in meat products. To reduce the rate of obesity and
cholesterol related diseases, the government should ban the ingestion of meat and create
awareness among children on the importance of vegetative products. In conclusion, the morality

of animal related food products should be based on the welfare of animals rather than the needs
of human beings.

Works cited
Francione, Gary L. Veganism without Animal Rights. The European. 2015. Web. Nov. 09,
2015. <http://www.theeuropean-magazine.com/gary-l-francione/10366-the-morality-ofeating-meat-eggs-and-dairy>

McWilliams, James. Can Eating Meat Be Ethical? Pacific Standard. 2015. Web. Nov. 09,
2015. <http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/can-eating-meat-be-ethical>
Pilcher, Jeffrey M. The Oxford Handbook of Food History. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2012. Print.
Zamir, Tzachi. Ethics and the Beast. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.