Ive been a vegetarian for 7 years, and have seriously cut back on dairy in the last year. I take no supplements and donate blood every 3 months so have high iron levels.
Im vegetarian for the cruelty and for the environment. I find it extremely hypocritical to call yourself an environmentalist and still support the meat trade.
Pork and bacon for me is especially bad, sow stalls and the factory farming practices make me feel ill. These animals are as smart as a 3yr old child, much smarter then your dogs.
If anyone thinks meat is healthier please read 'the china study' the most comprehensive lifestyle study ever conducted. Should answer a few questions =]
- - - Updated - - -
Heres some reputable sources
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23169929
the basics - A total of 2,939 incident cancer cases were identified. The multivariate HR of overall cancer risk among vegetarians compared with non-vegetarians was statistically significant [HR, 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85-0.99] for both genders combined. Also, a statistically significant association was found between vegetarian diet and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.90). When analyzing the association of specific vegetarian dietary patterns, vegan diets showed statistically significant protection for overall cancer incidence (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.99) in both genders combined and for female-specific cancers (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47-0.92). Lacto-ovo-vegetarians appeared to be associated with decreased risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal system (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60-0.92).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21983060
Participants were 15,200 men and 26,187 women (17.3% Blacks) across the U.S. and Canada who were free of diabetes and who provided demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and dietary data. Participants were grouped as vegan, lacto ovo vegetarian, pesco vegetarian, semi-vegetarian or non-vegetarian (reference group). A follow-up questionnaire after two years elicited information on the development of diabetes. Cases of diabetes developed in 0.54% of vegans, 1.08% of lacto ovo vegetarians, 1.29% of pesco vegetarians, 0.92% of semi-vegetarians and 2.12% of non-vegetarians. Blacks had an increased risk compared to non-Blacks (odds ratio [OR] 1.364; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.093-1.702). In multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender, education, income, television watching, physical activity, sleep, alcohol use, smoking and BMI, vegans (OR 0.381; 95% CI 0.236-0.617), lacto ovo vegetarians (OR 0.618; 95% CI 0.503-0.760) and semi-vegetarians (OR 0.486, 95% CI 0.312-0.755) had a lower risk of diabetes than non-vegetarians. In non-Blacks vegan, lacto ovo and semi-vegetarian diets were protective against diabetes (OR 0.429, 95% CI 0.249-0.740; OR 0.684, 95% CI 0.542-0.862; OR 0.501, 95% CI 0.303-0.827); among Blacks vegan and lacto ovo vegetarian diets were protective (OR 0.304, 95% CI 0.110-0.842; OR 0.472, 95% CI 0.270-0.825). These associations were strengthened when BMI was removed from the analyses.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23836264
There were 2570 deaths among 73,308 participants during a mean follow-up time of 5.79 years. The mortality rate was 6.05 (95% CI, 5.82-6.29) deaths per 1000 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in all vegetarians combined vs nonvegetarians was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.80-0.97). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in vegans was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.73-1.01); in lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.82-1.00); in pesco-vegetarians, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.69-0.94); and in semi-vegetarians, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.75-1.13) compared with nonvegetarians. Significant associations with vegetarian diets were detected for cardiovascular mortality, noncardiovascular noncancer mortality, renal mortality, and endocrine mortality. Associations in men were larger and more often significant than were those in women.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19351712
Mean BMI was lowest in vegans (23.6 kg/m(2)) and incrementally higher in lacto-ovo vegetarians (25.7 kg/m(2)), pesco-vegetarians (26.3 kg/m(2)), semi-vegetarians (27.3 kg/m(2)), and nonvegetarians (28.8 kg/m(2)). Prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.9% in vegans to 7.6% in nonvegetarians; the prevalence was intermediate in participants consuming lacto-ovo (3.2%), pesco (4.8%), or semi-vegetarian (6.1%) diets. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, physical activity, television watching, sleep habits, alcohol use, and BMI, vegans (OR 0.51 [95% CI 0.40-0.66]), lacto-ovo vegetarians (0.54 [0.49-0.60]), pesco-vegetarians (0.70 [0.61-0.80]), and semi-vegetarians (0.76 [0.65-0.90]) had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians.
literally searched 'vegetarian' in pubmed, the US national institute of healths journal article library. These were the first 4 articles, all peer reviewed and published findings.
- - - Updated - - -
We are fruitivores or whatever its called, if we were vegetarians we would not be where we are today. We eat meat because we cover so many different parts of this planet and its the only way to sustain a population of our size and also because it allows us to live in areas that don't support the diet we evolved with. If we all lived like you then we wouldn't have the resources to sustain our population.
Also I could cut out meat and dairy and animal products from my diet but I have noticed that every vegitarian I have met is skinny and judgemental and they all act superior to meat eating people and I would never want to be like that. You say you just want to understand why people eat meat but your intentions and your attitude is obvious and I think you should keep your diet to yourself and stop worrying about other people and what they eat. After all if you did turn us all vegetarian you are going to be paying a fortune for your tofu.
Actually the opposite is true. Heres some quick stats -
- the production of 1 kg wheat costs 1,300 L water
- the production of 1 kg broken rice costs 3,400 L water
- the production of 1 kg eggs costs 3,300 L water
- the production of 1 kg beef costs 15,000 L water
70% of our grain stocks in Australia go towards feeding livestock. Every Kg of meat is around 6kg of grain.
Also the Co2 impacts, quickly. Per Kg of beef you emit 13,300g Carbon dioxide equivalents, as it actually produces methane which is 20 times worse. For a fruit is is 300-550g of equivalents.
- - - Updated - - -
The thing is most people here believe in science. We believe in evolution and fact. So religion and fads that are not part of fact but rather fiction don't go will with this group in general.
We like facts and the facts have been mentioned. But you appear to closed minded to listen to them. It reminds my of the debates about creation vs evolution. We evolved eating meat and it is an important part of our genetic make up. This is the main reason we eat meat if you are truly interested in why we eat meat.
In much the same vain religious people always want to be able to "share" their new found love and joy for their lifestyle and are frustrated when people do not want to hear their message. It's not that people are closed mind as you are labeling them. It's that they have decided for themselves how to live.
We evolved hunting and gathering. We ate small portions of meat and expended a lot of energy hunting it. Also our average lifespan was 25...
As a species we are evolving, we no longer need meat to survive and can live perfectly healthily on a plant based diet. I like to also think we are evolving emotionally with our greater understanding of animals and the environment, however, this thread has made me doubt that greatly.
The younger generation seems to be catching on to this concept though. More and more people are realising that its unnecessary and that one little bite of food isnt worth an animals life.