Ethics of Meat Eating

Ethics of Meat Eating

Everyone differs in their own way. Some look skinny, some are heavy, and some have beauty while others are without it. These qualities are seen and judged in everyone a person encounters everyday of their lives. But there is never a thought of whether that person is a meat eater or a vegetarian when one look at someone, because it is not a physical attribute. However, being a vegetarian changes the dynamics of a person and the way they live. This way of life is now taking place all over the world. Today, vegetarianism means refraining from eating any meats, especially red meat. The traditional vegetarian has turned into a group of varied lifestyles, like vegans, lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians and many others. People who don’t understand vegetarians may think these people are a drop out of the hippies, or vegetarians may be labelled as weird. Vegetarianism may have a few disadvantages, but as a convenience and healthy alternative to meat, vegetarianism is a healthy choice for Americans.

There are many reasons why one would choose vegetarianism. The main advantage is that it is good for one’s health. There is a great risk of obesity and heart diseases from meats that contain an abundance of cholesterol. Vegetarianism has been proven to increase one’s lifespan and it is a lifestyle choice. Vegetarians are also less obese and have a more active and healthy lifestyle. “For whatever haphazard combination of proteins I ate, being a vegetarian did seem to have a stunning effect on my cholesterol level” (Fraser 687). Vegetables have fewer preservatives in them than meat since vegetables are primarily eaten raw. A good physical figure can be obtained easier on a vegetarian diet because vegetables have less cholesterol. “…My total cholesterol level was a super-low 135, and my ratio of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (evil) was so impressive that the doctor drawled…” (Fraser 687), Vegetables are a good aid for digestion as they contain a great amount of fiber. This food group gives the body more energy because vegetables are a primary source from the food chain. We consume twice the amount of protein that one needs to be on a meat-based diet, and this over-eating can lead to osteoporosis, kidney stones, and cancer. “Vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce one’s chances of forming kidney stones and gallstones. Diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid” (Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health).

The second reason meat should be cut out of one’s diet, is the cruelty of killing animals to eat them. “The vast majority of our food animals are now raised under methods that are systematically abusive. This is not husbandry. This is persecution. In the face of such abuse, the moral defense of meat eating is left in tatters” (Gladden 697). Animals are kept in small, overcrowded cages. They are injected with steroids to put more meat on their bones. Animals are chemically engineered so that they are easier to slaughter and package to send off to stores. Once the animals get to the slaughterhouse, they are mutilated, for example cows are dehorned and branded without any sort of painkillers of any form. Summed up, when animals go to the slaughterhouse to be packaged, they do not have a painless death, as much as that would help, people should be made more aware because it is happening all over the world all the time.

The third reason that vegetarianism is a prime choice, is for the environment. “There is a huge loss of protein resources going from grain to meat, and that some animals, especially cattle and Americans, use up piggish amounts of water, grains, and crop land” (Fraser 688). The meat industry contributes to a lot of problems like the degradation of land, climate change, pollution of the air and of the water, a shortage of water, and loss of biodiversity. It is concluded that the meat industry is a main contributor to some of the most serious environmental problems.

There are not many people who choose to be herbivores. Today, most people are carnivores or omnivores. There are many people who may argue with the reasons above on why one should not eat meat. One may say that meat has vitamins and nutrients that one needs to survive that are not attainable through pairing two incomplete proteins to try and make one whole complete protein. It may be argued that many people do not know how to properly plan their diets to get all the nutrients and vitamins that their