SPEAKING VEGETARIANS (OR WOULD-BE-VEGETARIANS) VS. OMNIVORES . Have a serious discussion with your classmates about your dietary preferences. The class will probably be divided into vegetarians (or would-be-vegetarians) and omnivores, maybe with some in-betweens. Vegetarian and omnivore relationships are never easy, so everybody should explain the reasons for their choices but also try to understand and respect the others point of view. Here are some issues which might help your discussion. ACTIVITIES 3 Vegetarians Being a vegetarian is a great choice for you, the animals, and the planet. You will no longer be a part of the pain and death of so many animals. If slaughter houses had glass walls, everybody would be a vegetarian. Vegetarians are less likely to get cancer, heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis. Vegetables and plant foods contain everything we need with nothing that is harmful, such as cholesterol. The protein deficiency is a myth. You can get plenty of protein from beans, soy and nuts. Vegetarians are less likely to be overweight. You will discover a variety of new foods that you may not have thought of trying before. The only cons in being a veg are stupid comments and the fact that there isn t much choice when at restaurants. Omnivores We have been eating meat for millennia, it s the food chain. Eliminating animal products does not necessarily make you healthier. There s no evidence that shows that vegetarians live longer on average than nonvegetarians. Vegetarians get sick more, are pale, etc. Meat or dairy products offer the only foods that contain enough of the essential amino-acids. The best and most abundant source of B12 vitamins comes from animal products. Vegetarians might lack iron which is assimilated better from meat than from other sources. You have to be super educated to be healthy without meat: planning out everything, knowing where to get nutrients, etc. One disadvantage of eating animals comes from having to kill them. In-betweens Both can be healthy diets if followed properly. Both can be unhealthy if not followed properly. If only both vegetarians and meat eaters would learn to respect each other s choice everyone would get along just fine. The question is whether people can be vegetarian without any negative health consequences. I m all for animal rights, I love animals and I think if we are going to eat them, we should at least make sure they are healthy while they live and most of all kill them with no pain and no suffering, The major problem of eating meat comes from eating too much meat and fat. If each person simply reduced their meat intake, there would be a reduction in all the following: greenhouse gases, fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, water and energy resources, and animal cruelty. FOOD WORLD Module 6 259