The main reasons why people go vegetarian are:
Compassion for farmed animals
Religion
Health
Environment
Other reasons
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Compassion for farmed animals
The majority of people become vegetarian because they believe it
is wrong to kill animals for food and because they are opposed to
the cruelty and pain inflicted upon the billions of animals reared.
The process of getting a piece of ‘meat’ onto an individual’s
dinner plate is the result of much stress and suffering for any animal.
A lot of people find it particularly upsetting to view images or even to read about the average life experience of a farmed animal. It’s not pleasant and it can make for a stomach-churning read, but hopefully enough to put anybody off their roast beef or pork chops! For those who wish to read more about it, please prepare yourself for the gruesome facts.
Detailed Information Sheets can be obtained at our main VegSoc website. Click on the links below for further reading:
Warning: some of this information may not be suitable for very young readers!
Chickens
Cows
Laying Hens
Pigs
Sheep
Turkeys
Religion
Some religions dictate a vegetarian diet, examples include Hinduism
and Jainism. Strict Hindus do not consume anything gained at the
expense of an animal’s suffering and follow a lacto-vegetarian
diet (eat dairy products but not eggs). They believe that animals
have souls and that by killing them this will have karmic repercussions
later on. In addition to animal suffering, Jains take into account
any suffering caused to plants and are forbidden from eating most
root vegetables.
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Health
A vegetarian diet is known to have a wide range of health benefits.
Research shows that eating a well-balanced, low-fat and high-fibre
vegetarian diet may reduce the chances of suffering from certain
cancers (e.g. colon cancer), heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Vegetarian diets have also been used in the treatment of various
illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis and Type 2 diabetes.
More recent research has indicated that vegetarians appear more ‘health
conscious’ than non-vegetarians.
Environment
In the last 50 years the world-wide production of meat has quadrupled.
There are now more than 3 farmed animals for every human. As the
world’s population continues to increase, this puts a greater
burden on agricultural production and the planet’s natural
resources. More intensive farming results in the destruction of natural
habitats, deforestation, inefficient land-use, animal disease, waste,
increased water consumption, water pollution, global climate change
and more fossil fuel consumption. An adult human eating a typical
omnivorous diet needs 0.32 hectares of UK land to sustain their food
consumption. A vegetarian needs just 0.14 hectares and a vegan 0.07
hectares. For more information have a look at our environment
campaign
Other reasons
As meat can be expensive, some individuals may choose to be vegetarian
as meat substitutes, pulses/nuts, etc. are cheaper. Some people may
live with others who are already vegetarian and will soon find it
easier to adopt this diet. There are other people who simply do not
like the taste, texture or idea of eating meat!
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