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Lifestyle Choice of Vegetarianism with Rogerian Style Argument
About four years ago, my mother came rushing into my small room, face red and clearly
flustered. Immediately, I was struck with worry. I slowly asked her what was wrong, and her
words brought hot tears to my eyes. Crying, she told me that her father, my grandpa, had a heart
attack and was currently being brought to the hospital. I wasn’t sure how to handle the shocking
news, so I just ran to my mom and hugged her. Eventually, my whole family got in our big red
car and began the most tense, apprehensive car ride I have ever been on to the hospital where my
grandpa was staying. My father was the one driving, and it was so clear he was upset because the
nine-hour drive quickly turned into an eight-hour drive. By the time we got to the hospital, my
mother was exhausted. Her eyes were so swollen, you could hardly tell they were even opened.
My family and I quickly rushed into the hospital and the into the room where he was staying.
The first thing I saw was my grandma balling. Then I reluctantly brought my eyes to the center
of the small, square room, and there was my grandpa. The very sight of him lying on the hospital
bed, tubes and needles connected to him was too much for me, so I waited outside the room. As I
sat there, head down and whimpering, I overheard the doctor asking my grandma some
questions. I don’t remember any of them except for one that really stood out to me. He asked my
grandma about my grandpa’s diet and if he’s been eating a lot of red meats lately. My grandma
told the doctor how my grandpa would grill steak almost every night just the way he likes it, rare.
The doctor explained how heart problems is one of the many negative effects of continuous
consumption of red meats. I was baffled and a little angry that he thought something as healthy
as meat could have done that to my grandpa. Meat is supposed to be good for you, right?
According to The Law of the Physical Universe, “In order for one organism to live, another
must die.” It’s part of nature’s food chain. Many omnivores believe that humans are carnivorous
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creatures and that animals were put on the Earth so humans can eat them, survive, and thrive.
That being said, many people think that it’s not smart to be a vegetarian, because eating meat is
healthier for you than not eating meat. Paleo Leap says, “Plant-based sources tend to be low in
saturated fat, a component of the brain and a macronutrient vital for human health. Plants contain
both soluble and insoluble fiber, but fiber is not actually digested. Too much of it can cause
cramping, bloating, and other abdominal discomforts including constipation. Without sufficient
amounts of water to help move the bulk through the system, intestinal blockage can lead to
malabsorption and toxic accumulation.” Animals indeed provide many nutrients that aren’t as
easily found in a plant-based diet such as protein, omega-3, and saturated fat. Meat also provides
many vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, B1, B2, B6, zinc, selenium, and iron. With all
these facts, many meat eaters have deemed vegetarianism not as healthy as a meat-based diet.
While meat does contain more protein and omega-3s, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a meat diet
is better for you, and it sure is not better for the environment.
Growing up, I loved meat. I could never pass up hot wings. However, that was before I
learned that truth about the negative effects meat has on a person and about what really goes on
in the meat industries and how that affects the environment. Unfortunately, I learned the hard
way about what meat can do to a person, thanks to my grandfather. Eating meat increases your
risk of getting cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. Meat also contains the highest risk of a
foodborne illness. A lot of meat has hormones in it, again increasing the risk of having health
problems. In his book, Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer decides on raising his newborn
child as a vegan for all the health-related issues eating meat has. Daniel Pendick from Harvard
Health Publishing says, “Eating red meat delivers L-carnitine to bacteria that live in the human
gut. These bacteria digest L-carnitine and turn it into a compound called trimethylamine-N-oxide
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(TMAO). In studies in mice, TMAO has been shown to cause atherosclerosis, the disease
process that leads to cholesterol-clogged arteries. We know that clogged coronary arteries can
lead to heart attacks.” Not only is meat bad for your body, the meat industries are having
devastating effects on our environment.
“In polling, 94% of Americans agree that animals raised for food deserve to live free
from abuse and cruelty. Yet the majority of the nearly 10 billion farm animals raised each year in
the U.S. suffer in conditions that consumers would not accept if they could see them. Most of our
meat, milk, and eggs come from industrial farms where efficiency trumps welfare, and animals
are paying the price,” according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. These large meat-industries treat animals horrifically. Animals are constantly shoved
