Should People Be Vegetarian?

Should People be Vegetarian?

When considering the implementation of a new standard, one usually focuses on the problems the implementation would solve but often forgets to consider the new issues it may create. In the case of vegetarianism, proponents of the practice argue that adopting a vegetarian standard of living would improve the health of a society and provide a far less cruel alternative to sustaining a carnivorous lifestyle through the killing of animals. Although these claims may be valid, there is more compelling evidence why we, as a society, should not be vegetarian. If vegetarianism became the norm, it would have a drastic and harmful impact on our nutrition, be devastating to the food industry and, as a whole, cause more problems than it would solve.

Exhibiting a strictly vegetarian diet will be detrimental to our society's health. Our food is split into 3 major categories: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. As many people probably know, animal meat is generally made up mostly of protein, with some fat depending on the type of meat. However, fat gain in individuals is primarily attributed to an excessive intake of carbohydrates and fatty foods. Sugary foods, nuts, eggs, and milk are usually much more calorie dense than meat, yet these foods all lie within the boundaries of vegetarianism. Therefore, not only will vegetarianism not solve our growing obesity problem, it will hurt us as a society by hindering people from reaching a healthy protein intake easily. The proteins found in meat are essential for strong muscle growth and cannot simply be replaced by proteins found in other mediums of food or by supplemental protein products.

This conclusion directly goes against the claim that vegetarianism is a healthier lifestyle alternative. Eating healthy serves no purpose when it leads to poor nutrition. Furthermore, the health risks from eating meat have gone down considerably in recent history due to quality control. The gap in health between these two lifestyles is constantly becoming smaller, and the argument that vegetarians are not exposed to health risks that are similar to those of meat consumers no longer carries the weight it once did. As a resolution to this dilemma, society as a whole can practice moderation and engage in a balanced diet instead of abolishing meat all together.

Integrating vegetarianism into being a staple in our society will have severe consequences on many of our businesses and food industries. Meat factories and plants, delis, and most restaurants and fast food establishments thrive on a having a large, meat-eating consumer base. If this consumer base disappeared or faded away, it would be impossible for these plants and delis to survive, and restaurants and fast food locations would likely fail because it would be too difficult and expensive for them to adapt. This would mean a countless number of jobs lost and businesses