Vegetarian or Omnivorous Lifestyle?

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Is it wise for individuals to engage in a vegetarian lifestyle? Furthermore, is eating meat ethical? Should individuals protest meat as a solution to this issue? As long as animals are harmed in the process of getting dinner to the table, controversy over the ethicality of eating meat will prosper. With this said, including meat in one’s diet is both logical and ethical. Although vegetarians believe that their lifestyle benefits their health, the environment, and the economy, while ensuring the safety of animals; benefits of an omnivorous diet far outweigh those of a vegetarian diet. An omnivorous diet not only nourishes our bodies, but also aligns us with our natural way of life.
To begin, vegetarians argue that a meatless diet improves one’s health. Granted that this statement is widely accepted because plant based foods are proven to have a smaller fat content than meat based foods, “vegetarianism is [not] ‘a vaccine against all health problems,’ warns Carol Coughlin, a registered dietitian at the American Dietetic Association” (“Vegetarianism” Issues and Controversies). In fact, the lack of meat in a diet arouses many health issues. For example, vitamin B12 deficiency leads to damaging of nerve endings. This deficiency surfaces in vegetarian diets because vitamin B12 is not present in plants; on the other hand, animals are a source of vitamin B12 because they can consume the microorganisms that produce vitamin B12 (Mangels). Another argument posed by vegetarians is that meat found in supermarkets are ridden with bacteria. However, according to Steven Kopperud, president of the Animal Industry Foundation, “‘salmonella is found on all foods, including fruits and vegetables,’” and “‘E. coli contamination is more common in water ...

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...movement to vegetarianism leads to negative effects on health, the economy, and the environment. When considering a change in diet, consider the abundance of benefits found in an omnivorous lifestyle.

Works Cited

"Farmed Animals and the Law." ALDF.org. Animal Legal Defense Fund, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Lusk, Jayson L., and F. Bailey Norwood. “Some Economic Benefits and Costs of Vegetarianism”. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 38/2. (2009): 109–124. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Mangels, Reed, PhD, RD. "Vitamin B12 in the Vegan Diet." VRG.org. The Vegetarian Resource Group, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
"Vegetarianism." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 26 Nov. 1999. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
"Vegetarianism." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

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