Concerned Students Turn to Veggie Lifestyles

Fri, 02 May 2008 15:02:00 GMT

By Julia DuBois '08

A ten minute production by PETA officials, enough to bring your breakfast into your throat, to speckle your skin with goose bumps, and make you regret having pressed play. Cages too small to turn around it, birds with beaks broken and too heavy with growth hormones to lift up their heads. Dairy cows butchered if they stop producing the unrealistic amounts of milk expected. Animals boiled alive, thrown ruthlessly into cramped trucks, chicks being stomped on for sport. A normal day in the slaughterhouse. There are numerous reasons why people turn to vegetarianism as a way of life, amongst them are health concerns as well as ecological benefits, however statistically the number one reason for the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle is the unethical and inhumane treatment of animals in the slaughterhouse, as often stressed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in their campaigns. “After seeing the horrible things done to factory animals I felt sick, I didn’t want to be a part of that cruelty,” said senior Jennifer Bohn about her attempt to become a vegetarian her freshman year. “Although it was something that I really wanted to do I just couldn’t take not eating meat every day. Since I’ve eaten it all my life my body wasn’t used to not getting that nutrition,” said Bohn. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group there are about 700,000 vegetarians in the United States alone, with the numbers reaching even higher in Eastern countries. Vegetarianism goes as far back as six century B.C. when humans depended upon plants, fruits, nuts and seeds to support them in their nomadic lifestyle. However vegetarianism did not die out as civilization developed, rather it continued to become a more popular way of life in the 60’s and continues now into present day. (Veggie123.org) Being a vegetarian is consuming a diet of solely vegetables, fruits, grains, and nut, sometimes with the addition of milk products and eggs. There are different forms of vegetarianism, ranging from more lenient ones such as Pesco vegetarians to the strict and most concentrated form of vegetarianism, vegan. Pesco vegetarians abstain from all meat but allow themselves to consume fish and dairy products, there are also Ovo Lacto vegetarians who don’t consume any meat but still intake dairy products, vegans abstain from consumption of all animal products, including milk, eggs, butter, and clothing or other products whose creation includes interference with animals. For Bohn the decision to attempt vegetarianism was based not only on the footage she witnessed but also on the influence of people around her. “My two older cousins had been vegetarians for years and at the time I thought it would be a good idea for me to do it too,” she said. However other vegetarians choose this lifestyle for strictly ethical reasons, such as ERHS sophomore Katie Hartfill. “I’ve always loved animals and never really had the urge to eat meat, [so becoming a vegetarian] just kind of happened,” said Hartfill. Although there are ecological, health, and ethical reasons to turn to vegetarianism it is a practice that takes a lot of serious determination and close attention to the body’s nutritional needs. “[To make sure I get the right nutrients] I check labels and read ingredients on everything I eat, I ask restaurants how they cook their food, and I take protein and iron pills every morning to avoid deficiency,” said Hartfill. Aside from providing themselves with a clearer conscience vegetarians receive the benefit of consuming less antibiotics which are force fed to slaughterhouse livestock, likewise vegetarians help to conserve water (about 50% of water in the U.S. is used to grow corps to feed livestock). Other benefits of vegetarianism include helping prevent land erosion, which happens when livestock feeding destroys topsoil, and they also help conserve fossil fuel which is used in the production process. However not all people are open to the concept of a vegetarian lifestyle, vegetarianism often faces opposition from people who feel that being carnivorous is the way human being were meant to live. “It is natural to eat meat, and it is part of human nature and its instinct. If natural selection still existed with humans the way it used to, vegetarian wouldn’t survive,” said senior Sean McCoy who has tried such carnivorous dishes as rooster fries, raw tiger meat, alligator tail, turtles, and squirrels. Medical experts say it is possible to suffer serious health risks if vegetarianism is not handled carefully, often malnutrition can affect weight, health, or even mental function. It is often considered that omnivores are healthier than vegetarians because they receive the full array of nutrients, “omnivores have a much healthier diet,” said McCoy, “it is easier for them to get protein and iron, among other nutrients that vegetarian’s lack.” Although it is a positive transition for some people, becoming a vegetarian takes a lot of determination and a careful diet to assure a healthy lifestyle. “Being a vegetarian is great but it’s not for everyone. It’s not just your diet; it’s your lifestyle that changes,” said Hartfill.

The Bark

Concerned Students Turn to Veggie Lifestyles