Vegetarianism: Types, Reasons, and Health Challenges

Introduction

Around the world, humans slaughter over fifty-six billion farm animals every year for food (Capper, 2011). Statistics have shown that over 3,000 animals are killed every second in slaughterhouses across the world (The Vegetarian Society, n.d.). These figures are quite shocking, and they do not even account for fish and other sea creatures. The deaths of marine animals are measured only in tons, which illustrates the immense number of sea creatures and fish that die each year. With this in mind, many people feel compelled to save animals by consuming only plant-based diets. These people are referred to as vegetarians. Vegetarianism is defined as the practice of refraining from consuming red meat, poultry, and seafood (Gammon, von Hurst, Coad, Kruger, & Stonehouse, 2012). It may also include abstaining from animal slaughter by-products. There are several grounds on which a person might go vegetarian. A majority of people choose vegetarianism out of respect for sentient life. Though vegetarianism is a popular choice for many, most parents worry whether a vegetarian diet would be suitable and healthy for their children (Mangels, n.d.).

The different kinds of vegetarianism include ovo-vegetarianism, lacto-vegetarianism, lacto-ovo vegetarianism, and veganism. Ovo-vegetarianism is a type that allows the individual to consume eggs but no dairy products or meat (Barnes, Singh, & Parayitam, 2013). The main reason these individuals avoid dairy products relates to concerns about industrial farming practices. Lacto-vegetarianism allows the individual to consume dairy products such as cheese, milk, yogurt, cream, ghee, and butter, but excludes eggs and meat (Barnes et al., 2013). This type of vegetarianism originates from India, and most people who observe it have been followers of Eastern religions (Ruby, Heine, Kamble, Cheng, & Waddar, 2013). Vegetarians who consume both dairy products and eggs but do not eat meat are referred to as lacto-ovo vegetarians. Vegans are individuals who practice the strictest form of vegetarianism, consuming food from plant sources only.

Main Reasons for Vegetarianism

Ethical Reasons: Saving Animals

There are various reasons that lead people to prefer a vegetarian diet, the primary ones being ethical and emotional. Ethical reasons include environmental concerns and the desire to protect animals. The love a person feels for animals can prevent them from consuming any meat products or animal by-products. Many vegetarians are deeply troubled by reports of cruelty that animals endure, particularly during slaughter, and cannot reconcile eating meat with this knowledge. Vegetarians generally believe that animals are exploited to provide nourishment for humans, and that the conditions in which most animals are reared are not humane.

For example, in order to obtain veal, newborn calves must be slaughtered. The calves are separated from their mothers and killed while very young — a practice considered animal abuse by many people. Milk production can only occur after a cow has given birth, and to maximize output, cows are fed growth hormones or kept in a near-continuous cycle of pregnancy. Many vegetarians view this as an unacceptable way to treat animals, which motivates them to seek food entirely from plant sources and to encourage others to adopt a vegan diet as well. The Vegetarian Society identifies compassion for animals as one of the central motivations behind people's decision to become vegetarian.

Environmental and Mental Motivations

Environmental Reasons

Environmental concerns also lead many people to prefer vegetarian diets. Raising animals for human consumption requires enormous amounts of water — water that cannot be reused for other purposes and that could otherwise support crop cultivation or community needs. Cattle raised for meat produce methane gas, one of the primary greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Deforestation occurs because large tracts of land are cleared both for grazing animals and for growing animal feed. Trees are often removed from these areas because they would provide shelter for predators. Maintaining large numbers of livestock also requires dedicating significant land to growing animal fodder — grain that humans cannot consume directly.

If that same land were used to grow crops for human consumption, it would reduce the adverse environmental effects of cattle farming while conserving forests. Animals are also major contributors to water, land, and air pollution. Plants, by contrast, help mitigate the effects of global warming and purify the air. Grazing leads to topsoil erosion, which can result in barren and infertile land over time. Growing crops for human consumption would thus serve two purposes: feeding people and conserving the environment.

Mental Reasons

Many vegetarians also adopt a plant-based diet as a means of developing greater self-control. Transitioning from a meat-based diet to a complete vegetarian diet is not easy, and many people find it a significant challenge. A person who can fully modify their diet to exclude all meat and animal by-products must exercise considerable discipline, managing their cravings and emotional impulses around food. The self-control developed during this process can prove beneficial beyond the diet itself, as the person learns to overcome personal desires in pursuit of a deeper goal or principle.

Conclusion

Various reasons and communities encourage people to adopt vegetarian diets. A person should be aware of the requirements and types of vegetarianism in order to eliminate confusion and make informed dietary choices. Vegetarianism can be a healthy way of living, but only when the individual develops a well-balanced diet that contains all the nutrients the body requires. Most vegetarians lack sufficient vitamins in their diet, which results in the need for dietary supplements. The type of food a person consumes defines the kind of vegetarian they are, and those choices are shaped by personal beliefs and motivations. Ultimately, the reasons behind adopting a vegetarian diet will determine what foods a vegetarian chooses to include or exclude.

References

Barnes, N.G., Singh, B.R., & Parayitam, S. (2013). New England Indic restaurants business and culture: an exploratory empirical study. International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 7(3), 336–347.

Capper, J. (2011). The environmental impact of beef production in the United States: 1977 compared with 2007. Journal of Animal Science, 89(12), 4249–4261.

Forestell, C.A., Spaeth, A.M., & Kane, S.A. (2012). To eat or not to eat red meat. A closer look at the relationship between restrained eating and vegetarianism in college females. Appetite, 58(1), 319–325.

Gammon, C.S., von Hurst, P.R., Coad, J., Kruger, R., & Stonehouse, W. (2012). Vegetarianism, vitamin B12 status, and insulin resistance in a group of predominantly overweight/obese South Asian women. Nutrition, 28(1), 20–24.

Ho-Pham, L., Vu, B., Lai, T., Nguyen, N., & Nguyen, T. (2012). Vegetarianism, bone loss, fracture and vitamin D: a longitudinal study in Asian vegans and non-vegans. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66(1), 75–82.

Ingenbleek, Y., & McCully, K.S. (2012). Vegetarianism produces subclinical malnutrition, hyperhomocysteinemia and atherogenesis. Nutrition, 28(2), 148–153.

Mangels, R. (n.d.). Vegetarian nutrition for teenagers. Retrieved from https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutrition.htm

Ruby, M.B. (2012). Vegetarianism. A blossoming field of study. Appetite, 58(1), 141–150.

Ruby, M.B., Heine, S.J., Kamble, S., Cheng, T.K., & Waddar, M. (2013). Compassion and contamination. Cultural differences in vegetarianism. Appetite, 71, 340–348.

The Vegetarian Society. (n.d.). Compassion for animals is one of the main reasons why people become vegetarian. Retrieved from https://www.vegsoc.org/animals