Running Head: VEGETARIANISM

Carrie Allen Position Paper Vegetarianism English 2010

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It was a grim, soggy afternoon on a quiet Idaho farm; the grass and mud is sinking in between my toes. The smell of fresh rain is wafting into my nostrils, however this would be the last time those smells would surround me. My eyes try to focus from the blow, but all they see is the butt of a 22 rifle between them. The shot ricochets within my ears; the sound is deafening, blood starts to ooze out of the hole even before the smoke has cleared. Suddenly a cold steel blade is slicing through the thick skin just under my jaw bone, blood loss is swift and death is imminent. The smell of bacon frying in a frying pan fills the room; breakfast ham is sizzling on the grill, too bad my life was sacrificed just to make a breakfast meal. So how many animals are needlessly slaughtered each year to feed hungry meat eating Americans? Well, from January to April 2013, approximately 10,509 cattle, 2,834,600 chickens, 8,258 ducks, 37,235 hogs, 727 sheep and 78,823 turkeys have been needlessly murdered (Humane Society, 2013). A better alternative other than slaughtering these animals is to opt for a different way of eating all together. Vegetarianism is defined as a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or in some cases, any food derived from animals such as eggs or cheese. Vegetarians substitutes meat products with vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes or grains. The opposition will argue that vegetarians place too much value on the lives of animals; they will argue that the way food is processed does not correlate with the increase of illnesses or disease, and finally they will have you believe that living longer because you are a vegetarian is a myth. These claims come across as a red herring fallacy, which is an irrelevant topic that is presented in order to divert attention away from the original issue. The issue is, finding an alternative way to feed Americans without slaughtering so many animals; this is why vegetarians opt for a meat-free lifestyle. Vegetarianism is a healthy alternative for Americans because it prevents the raising and

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killing of land animals, lowers the risk for certain diseases and illnesses, and can increase the quality of life and prolong it as well. Vegetarians choose a meat-free lifestyle because they believe that it prevents the raising and slaughtering of land animals. Vegetarians argue that animals are not ours to use for food, they have feelings, and they can experience fear, stress, pain, happiness and love. Farm animals such as cows, chickens and pigs are kept in small pens, crates, cages or in overcrowded stalls. Most animals are deprived of the basic necessities such as exercise, sunlight, veterinary care and even the feel of grass beneath their feet. About 50% of the meat produced in the United States comes from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). In CAFOs pigs have their tails cut off, chickens have their toenails and beaks clipped off, and cows have their horns removed and tails cut off without any pain killers. Animals in CAFOs develop abnormal behaviors such as pigs biting each others tails and hens pecking one another to death. The way these behaviors are dealt with is by cutting off the bits that cause the behavior problems. Then these animals are slaughtered so that we can enjoy such foods as bacon, hamburgers, steak, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Feed lots or better known to the public as factory farming of animals is the equivalent of humanity as the devil. It gives us a terrifying look at what humanity is capable of by the inhumane raising and slaughtering of helpless land animals. The documentary Frankensteer, sounds the alarm about how cattle is raised and the artificial foods the cattle are feed. Frankensteer is a straight forward documentary that makes viewers pause and rethink the consumption of beef. In the documentary Mike McBane, with the Canadian Health Coalition is quoted as saying When you bring a package of hamburger home from a supermarket,

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you have to treat it like toxic material. The reason why is because hamburger is known for harboring the life threatening bacteria E-coli. In the film some startling statics are revealed, the beef industry is trying to increase production by changing the eating patterns of these animals. Instead of allowing cows which are herbivores to graze in pastures on their natural food which is grass, the agriculture industry packs them into feedlots and feeds the cattle processed corn and soy supplements along with ground up animal by products. This is done in order to shorten the time in caring for these animals, it also decreases the costs of caring for the animals and therefore speeds up the process of slaughtering them (Canell & Remerow ski, 2006). This killing is unethical because it puts the publics health at risk, these animals are fed unnatural foods because it is cheap and it is a means of disposing of unusable animal body parts, it is unsanitary because it can cause mad cow disease in the cattle. The opposition disagrees with the view that killing land animals is unethical, but they will argue that vegetarian diets kill animals too. How are vegetarian responsible for the killing of land animals, we are not the ones clearing fields for crops or claiming over 65 billion lives each year. Omnivores, people who eat both plants and animals claim that no one, not even vegetarians hands are free and clean from the blood of animals. They believe that vegetarians are more to blame for the death of animals because Steven Davis, a Professor of Animal Science at Oregon State University, who taught a course on animal ethics, claims that vegetarians kill millions of animals each year; by clearing fields to grow crops such as corn, wheat, barley and soybeans, millions of mice, moles, rabbits and other small animals are killed. Davis states that even though these animals are not as large as cattle, their lives are

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still being claimed. Davis believes that this food is being planted mainly because it is a staple of the vegetarian diet (Dye, 2002). Unfortunately, Davis is mistaken in his claim; most of the grain that is being grown is being fed to livestock. According to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, shows that more than 30% of the earths land mass is used for the growing of crops to feed livestock. PETA emphasizes that in order to produce one pound of meat an animal must be feed 13 pounds of grain (Rogers, 2013). Think of all the resources that are being wasted on feeding livestock. These resources could be put to better use by changing what foods Americans consume. Not only does being a vegetarian provide adequate nutrition but it helps to lower the risk of disease. Being a vegetarian can help keep you healthy from diseases people get from eating meat, such as cardiovascular heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. Most American diets are filled with processed and refined foods, sugars and unhealthy fats. Americans rely on the newest fad diet as a guideline to their nutritional needs; unfortunately the more refined foods people eat the less likely they are to eat nutritionally complete foods; therefore missing out on essential vitamins and nutrients that help keep our bodies healthy. In a recent study conducted by the American Dietetic Association, they found that eating a well planned vegetarian diet can be not only healthy, but nutritionally adequate. A study was conducted of 200,000 men and women ages 25 to 75. Researchers found that by replacing one serving of meat a day with one serving of nuts, grains or low-fat dairy helped lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%. They further found that if you indulged in one hot dog or two strips of bacon daily it would increase your risk for diabetes by 51%. The article also discussed a recent study conducted by Harvard University. In that study researchers followed

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84,136 women ages 30 to 55. They found that eating one serving of nuts per day instead of red meat helped lower the risk of cardiovascular heart disease by 30% (Craig, 2009). So why should we cut down on meat consumption? The reason is clear, our health should be a top priority, making sure that we eat the right foods and consuming the correct amount of nutrients is vital to helping our bodies stay disease free. Vegetarians usually consume fewer calories, eat a wider variety of foods and therefore they have a lower body mass index. This plays a key role in reducing the risk of disease and illnesses. John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution, states in his book that by eating a rainbow of fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and vegetables we are able to acquire all of the nutrients and vitamins our bodies require. Vegetarian diets are high in vitamins E and C, they contain phytochemicals such as beta carotene which can prevent cardiovascular disease, lycopene which aids in increasing blood flow and fights off certain cancers, and isoflavones which promote and protect your health. While eating a wide variety of whole foods vegetarians are lowering the risks of heart disease, high cholesterol levels, cancer and diabetes. Robbins book list numerous foods that can improve our health and lower our risks for disease. For instance by eating 35 almonds or 1 cup of black beans it can lower a persons blood pressure by 20%. By eating cabbage and mushrooms it helps reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50 to 70%. Grapes, onions, peanuts, tomatoes and watermelon all reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers (Robbins, 2011, pg. 81-96). Robbins book also reinforces the studies done by the American Dietetic Association, that what we put into our bodies helps to determine the health of our bodies. It is further argued in Robbins book that by consuming meat and dairy products we contribute to the decline of our health.

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The American Meat Institute and National Dairy Council go on record in Robbins book acknowledging that most of the saturated fat we consume comes from animal and dairy products. They claim that without eating these products one cannot get all the essential vitamins, minerals and protein a body needs. So how can we change our eating habits to make sure our bodies get what they need? We can make sure to eat nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes so that we can ward off some of todays most damaging diseases. We need to stay away from unhealthy foods such as meat, full fat dairy products, processed and refined foods. These foods increase our risk for disease. Americans need to educate themselves on what are our bodies really need in order to function and to be healthy. There are mounds and mounds of research being done by numerous researchers trying to tell us what we should and shouldnt eat. Take for instance the documentary Forks over Knives. This documentary film by Lee Fulkerson explores the possibilities of a so-called disease of affluence. The film discusses controversial points of view from experts such as Cornell University nutritional scientist Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Breast cancer Task force Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic and Connie Diekman who is the director of nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri and former advisor to the National Dairy Counsel. Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn have years of research and studies to back their claims that there is a link between animal and dairy products and disease. The opposition however is basing their argument on the words of Connie Diekman. Her claim is that if you eliminate all animal protein from your diet you run the risk of inadequate protein consumption, that one cannot get all of the required 21 amino acids that a body needs and by eating only a vegetarian diet you will be deficient in iron,

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calcium, B-12 and omega 3s. By focusing on just what animal protein can supposedly do for the body, she forgets that foods like tofu, beans, lentils and chickpeas can help meet the required amount of daily protein. Likewise by incorporating such foods as dried fruits, cashew and mushrooms daily iron needs are met as well. In order to increase calcium intake eating leafy greens, consuming fortified cereals and drinking soy milk meets the calcium requirement. That leaves just the omega 3s, in order to maintain the correct levels the use of flaxseed oil or the consumption of walnuts or soybeans is necessary. So the question remains is there a link between the foods we consume and the illness we are trying to combat? Are we as Americans making ourselves sick by consuming too much meat and other unhealthy foods? Well the documentary also presents a pretty compelling argument that animal protein and dairy products are the reasons why cancer exists, why people are obese and why we have heart disease. Doctor T. Colin Campbell expresses that there is a link between the foods we eat and the diseases that are running rampant in our bodies; he has spent extensive time studying the effects of animal protein and how it alters our health. Doctor Campbell has documented the changes in our health since animal products and processed food were introduced into our eating habits. He recommends that eating the right nutrients in foods helps to create a symphony in ones mouth and a balance in ones body. Doctor Caldwell Esselstyn documents through his research that many diseases that affect Americans today were practically nonexistent in areas of the world that ate a primarily plant based diet. Doctor Esselstyn agrees with Doctor Campbell that by changing our eating habits we can most likely reverse conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancers. A vegetarian diet isnt only about what we put into the human body; it is about

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how long that body will last. Our goal as Americans should be to live a full life, not a short life because we didnt take care of ourselves. Americans are drawn to a vegetarian lifestyle for all sorts of reasons; some do it for the health benefits, some do it for religious reasons, many do it with one motive in mind; that motive is the expectancy of living a longer life. Recently there was a study published in the Huffington Post Healthy Living magazine. The article discusses how Loma Linda University did a six year study on 73,308 Seventh- Day Adventist men and women, a religious group know for advocating for a vegetarian diet and other healthy practices found that vegetarians had a 12% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular and ischemic heart disease than did non-vegetarians. The study concluded that the high amount of fiber and the fact that vegetarians tend to be thinner, more active and less likely to drink or smoke increased their lifespan. The study also found that if a vegetarian lifestyle is adapted, men could increase the lifespan by 7.28 years and women could extend their lifespan by 4.42 years (Chan, 2013, pg.3). The opposition tries to point out that this research is false. They question how one can increase their lifespan by simply eating better and participating in daily exercise. The opposition focuses their claim on an article Twenty-Two reason not to go vegetarian written by Sally Fallon Morell, author for the Weston A. Price Foundation which deals with food, farming and healing. Morell claims that there is no evidence to back up the literature that is being published on vegetarian health benefits and that by being a vegetarian does not increase mortality and longevity. Morell is mistaken because of the study done by Doctor T. Colin Campbell from the documentary Forks and Knives. Doctor Campbells study done in China shows proof that a plant-based diet is healthier than those containing animal products.

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The research in Dr. Campbells study uncovers that most common diseases didnt exist until animal proteins were introduced into our diets. Morell is trying to influence Americans away from a vegetarian lifestyle by giving false information (Morell, 2008). Take for instance the research currently being done by Harvard University Medical School. Their research indicates that by eating a plant-based diet it is not only nutritionally sufficient but also can reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses therefore extending the longevity of ones life. They further state that by eating a vegetarian diet, one has a lower body mass index and is less likely to gain weight as one age (Harvard University, 2009). The study shows that by eating a vegetarian diet one can reduce the levels of LDL, which in the bad cholesterol in our bodies. Participants eating a vegetarian diet reduced their LDL by 29%. So how does all this information affect Americans? Well, by eating a plant based diet one can cut down the risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce bad cholesterol, reverse the affects of type 2 diabetes and decrease the rate of some cancers. A change is needed in how Americans acquire their food and what they consume. The raising and killing of land animals is just not economical any longer. By consuming such products as meat and full fat dairy we as Americans are now at higher risks of potential diseases like coronary heart disease and obesity. Ultimately a change is needed. We need to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables, get off our lazy butts and take our health seriously. By changing the way we eat and incorporating more exercise we will be able to extend our mortality and live a more productive life. The bottom line is Murder is out and Healthy is in.

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References

Canell, M. (Director), & Remerow ski, T. (Director) (2006).Frankensteer [DVD].

Chan, A. L. (2013, June 4). Do vegetarians live longer? Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com

Craig, W. (2009). Vegetarian diets. It's about eating right,109(7), 1266-1682. doi: Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Dye, L. (2002, May 1). Vegetarian diet kills animals . Retrieved from abcnews.go.com

Fulkerson, L. (Director) (2011). Forks over Knives [DVD

Harvard University. (2009, October). Becoming a vegetarian. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/

Humane Society. (2013). Farm animal statistics: slaughter totals. Retrieved from humanesociety.org

Morell, Fallon, S. (2008). Twenty-two reasons not to go vegetarian. Retrieved from www.westonaprice.org

Rogers, R. (2013). Meat production wastes natural resources. Retrieved from www.peta.org

Robbins, J. (2011). Food revolution. San Francisco, CA: Conari Press