Veganism & vegetarianism

[Longhorn]

Your thoughts? Are you either, and is it because of the ideology or health benefits? Arguments for and against?

Because, you know, on one hand, steak. OTOH bacon

I find that the conditions in the meat industry are sometimes inhumane. But I don't have any data as to how common it is and whether there are any regulations in place. If it wasn't an issue, I don't see a reason not to eat meat in reasonable amounts.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I'm a second-stage vegetarian:  I only eat animals that only eat plants. Except, you know, when I don't.

Boru

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I'm a level 5 vegan. I don't eat anything that casts a shadow.

[Longhorn]

I'm a level 5 vegan. I don't eat anything that casts a shadow.

Oh crap. *turns into a million bats and flies off into the moonlight*

[robvalue]

I'm vegan, for ethical reasons. I became vegetarian at about 12, when it finally occured to me what I was eating. I became vegan some 10 years later, after learning more about the dairy industry.

My opinion on it all, because you asked:

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I'm fundamentally against animals being property and being bred primarily for financial gain.

I think one day what we do to animals will be looked back on with the same total disgust we feel when we look at slavery now. The phrase "humane slaughter" sums up the irony of it all to me.

The conditions animals are kept in are often horrific. There are regulations, but in my opinion they are woefully inadequate, even when they are properly enforced.

The dairy industry revolves around repeatedly impregnanting cows and then removing their young to take the milk intended for them. This causes them huge distress, and the constant milking procedures damages their udders so badly they have to eventually be removed from rotation for medical treatment. To me this is even more cruel than the meat industry, which is why I'm vegan.

As far as ethics go, I see eating fish and eggs as the least offensive, as long as the hens are kept in genuine free-range conditions. But frequently even places claiming to be free-range have been discovered to be not much better than battery. And if you buy anything with just "eggs" in the ingredients, it's almost certain to have come from battery hens, which is an unimaginably cruel process.

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[Bob Kelso]

I'm a level 5 vegan. I don't eat anything that casts a shadow.

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I'm a carnivorous bastard, and I sometimes play find the vegan on FB. 

[Alex K]

I am a vegetarian for emotional reasons

[Aractus]

Well the resident public health student can explain to you the perils of veganisim and vegetarianism if you like. Some serious issues include orthorexia nervosa, malnutrition, osteoporosis, dental cavities, vitamin d deficiency, LDL deficiency, and consequently mental health problems.

There are an unlimited number of diets that are potentially suitable for people, especially for people who have food allergies or food intolerances, however broadly speaking there are only two diets that are recommended for "most people" without the need for specific instruction from a dietician, nutritionist, physician, or sports trainer. And those are the AGTHE (or the comparable ones available from other countries such as USA & Japan), or better still, DASH.

[Longhorn]

Well the resident public health student can explain to you the perils of veganisim and vegetarianism if you like. Some serious issues include orthorexia nervosa, malnutrition, osteoporosis, dental cavities, vitamin d deficiency, LDL deficiency, and consequently mental health problems.

I've heard that vitamin D can be found in a multitude of vegetables and vegan products actually, and that a bigger risk is the vitamin B12 deficiency which has to be supplemented since it's found exclusively in meat.

Malnutrition? You mean deficiencies or just too low a calorie intake? Are you saying that is necessary in any vegan or vegetarian diet? Because if you balance it out and provide substitutes, it shouldn't be a problem. Some vegetable products for example have a higher protein content than meats.

What mental health problems specifically at vegans and vegetarians at risk of?

[Alex K]

There isn't *the* vegetarian diet, Aractus. What exactly are we talking about here?