Most Vegetarians Return to Eating Meat

I have been a vegetarian for a few years now and prior to that was not strict - so if I was invited to dinner and meat was served I was grateful and ate what was given to me.

So technically I have not chosen to eat meat with strict adherence for about five years and with not so strict adherence maybe twenty years. If the supermarket closed down the meat section - you would have to point it out to me as I would not even notice.

I am hardly thin and quite healthy for a middle aged woman. I take a variety of vitamins and that line up changes with my needs and with acquiring new knowledge about specific vitamins. I will not return to eating meat although if someone who does not know about my life choices prepares a meal for me - I will not say no - that would be rude. I would never insult a person who is sharing food with me - primarily because I know many people across the world are starving and they do not need to be that way.

Just my point of view and life experience.

Much Peace...

A great thread and a great amount of interest.
Its good to see so many people showing so much interest in what i think is such an important topic. If we can reduce the amount of food consumed from cruel sources then it can only be a good thing for the consumer, the environment, the Animals OH and not so good for the Greedy corporate giants!!

From an earlier post "Eat what you eat, just appreciate it."

PS Has anyone seen a doco for "Food Inc." Wouldn't it be nice to just take it down a notch?

Cheers

The key word is "returned".

People who are born vegetarians stay vegetarians, but people who became vegetarians in the middle if they don't have a strong mind, they will given in.

Originally posted by luciddream
The key word is "returned".

People who are born vegetarians stay vegetarians, but people who became vegetarians in the middle if they don't have a strong mind, they will given in.

Lets also remember, in the interest of fairness, that while people born vegetarians might not have mental struggles it's documented that they're physically malnourished.

It's much more health beneficent and non-damaging for an adult to take up a vegetarian diet. A child raised on a vegetarian diet, or god forbid a vegan diet, will end up physically inferior to others.

Vegetarianism in adults should be promoted, vegetarian for children I believe borders on child cruelty.

Originally posted by JailTales


It's much more health beneficent and non-damaging for an adult to take up a vegetarian diet. A child raised on a vegetarian diet, or god forbid a vegan diet, will end up physically inferior to others.

Vegetarianism in adults should be promoted, vegetarian for children I believe borders on child cruelty.

Yes, because the millions of fat children engorged on McDonald's are at the height of physical superiority.
There is no reason what-so-ever for a vegetarian family raising their child on a nutritious diet to be considered unhealthy. There are unhealthy children in both meat-eating and vegetarian households, and it generally comes down to laziness and lack of education about food quality.

Bacon was my downfall that and a dripping bloody steak, but it doesn't matter.
Can't say that I fancy going back to eating vast quantities of soy or yeast based products either. I've just found a happy medium.

Originally posted by AlphaBetaGammaX

Originally posted by JailTales


It's much more health beneficent and non-damaging for an adult to take up a vegetarian diet. A child raised on a vegetarian diet, or god forbid a vegan diet, will end up physically inferior to others.

Vegetarianism in adults should be promoted, vegetarian for children I believe borders on child cruelty.

Yes, because the millions of fat children engorged on McDonald's are at the height of physical superiority.
There is no reason what-so-ever for a vegetarian family raising their child on a nutritious diet to be considered unhealthy. There are unhealthy children in both meat-eating and vegetarian households, and it generally comes down to laziness and lack of education about food quality.

That's a bit of a non-argument. Both of us realise and accept that a family raising their kids on junk food is bad.

The difference is I'm prepared to accept the scientific fact that children raised on vegetarian and vegan diets are worse for it, where as you seem to have some sort of vested interest in denying the reality.

Depriving a child of meat is little different than trying to feed vegetables to a dog. You can make arguments until you're blue in the face but the science is that it's harmful - or less beneficial, at best - when contrasted with a varied diet that includes meat.

This isn't a controversial or opinionated view, this is the unfortunate fact. Any vegetarian or vegan type who forces their child to endure such a diet is stunting their health and growth potential. How a vegetarian diet stands up to a mcdonalds diet doesn't matter.

reply to post by JailTales


I'd be thrilled to view any evidence about this that you are using to form these opinions! I'll check back when I get home from lecture. (Seriously. I am not being sarcastic, in case that isn't clear.)

Originally posted by JailTales


Depriving a child of meat is little different than trying to feed vegetables to a dog. You can make arguments until you're blue in the face but the science is that it's harmful - or less beneficial, at best - when contrasted with a varied diet that includes meat.

This isn't a controversial or opinionated view, this is the unfortunate fact. Any vegetarian or vegan type who forces their child to endure such a diet is stunting their health and growth potential. How a vegetarian diet stands up to a mcdonalds diet doesn't matter.

This has not been our experience. My 10-year-old daughter has never eaten meat. She does eat a little seafood, but has only started eating it in the last couple of years. She was raised on dairy, legumes, nuts and grains, a little soy, and lots of veggies and fruits. I would consider that a vegetarian diet, wouldn't you? She is now 5'4" (tallest in her class), weighs about 108 lbs, and has no health problems. Her blood tests have always come back completely normal (no iron deficiency, etc.). She is in advanced classes at school, so no mental/brain problems. Her one weakness is sugar (what kid doesn't love sugar!), but we are working on that.

By the way, she has never eaten at a McDonald's in her life.

Originally posted by kaylaluv

Originally posted by JailTales


Depriving a child of meat is little different than trying to feed vegetables to a dog. You can make arguments until you're blue in the face but the science is that it's harmful - or less beneficial, at best - when contrasted with a varied diet that includes meat.

This isn't a controversial or opinionated view, this is the unfortunate fact. Any vegetarian or vegan type who forces their child to endure such a diet is stunting their health and growth potential. How a vegetarian diet stands up to a mcdonalds diet doesn't matter.

This has not been our experience. My 10-year-old daughter has never eaten meat. She does eat a little seafood, but has only started eating it in the last couple of years. She was raised on dairy, legumes, nuts and grains, a little soy, and lots of veggies and fruits. I would consider that a vegetarian diet, wouldn't you? She is now 5'4" (tallest in her class), weighs about 108 lbs, and has no health problems. Her blood tests have always come back completely normal (no iron deficiency, etc.). She is in advanced classes at school, so no mental/brain problems. Her one weakness is sugar (what kid doesn't love sugar!), but we are working on that.

By the way, she has never eaten at a McDonald's in her life.

We all have anecdotal evidence of anything. Some of the healthiest, most physically impressive specimens I know stuff their face with KFC at least twice a week.

I'm sure you can find parents who say that beating their child did good, but on the whole the evidence says otherwise, and their one (biased) account stands for nothing. My brother (who's smoked since 13) appears to be healthy as you like and is 6'4, is that evidence that smoking doesn't stunt growth and cause health problems?

Originally posted by AlphaBetaGammaX
reply to post by JailTales

 

I'd be thrilled to view any evidence about this that you are using to form these opinions! I'll check back when I get home from lecture. (Seriously. I am not being sarcastic, in case that isn't clear.)

edit on 18-4-2012 by AlphaBetaGammaX because: (no reason given)

I'll get back to you tomorrow with what I can put together. Apologies for being condescending in my last reply, I assumed you were one of those militant type non-meat eaters that believes the diet is perfect... You know the types, the sort who will talk about meat eaters having bad vibration levels and other such rubbish, while outright denying any positives to meat, whether in moderation or otherwise.

If you're eager you can search on Google yourself, if you don't have the time I'll dig tomorrow and link you directly

Originally posted by JailTales

Originally posted by luciddream
The key word is "returned".

People who are born vegetarians stay vegetarians, but people who became vegetarians in the middle if they don't have a strong mind, they will given in.

Lets also remember, in the interest of fairness, that while people born vegetarians might not have mental struggles it's documented that they're physically malnourished.

It's much more health beneficent and non-damaging for an adult to take up a vegetarian diet. A child raised on a vegetarian diet, or god forbid a vegan diet, will end up physically inferior to others.

Vegetarianism in adults should be promoted, vegetarian for children I believe borders on child cruelty.

Could you tell in what way they are malnutritioned? Are you talking about vegetarians that don't drink milk? because those vegetarians are later hybrids that arose from normal vegetarianism(drinks milk).

India, its probably the #1 country in being vegetarian, about 40% of 1.2 Billion population are vegtarians, about 10% in that are vegetarians who eat eggs(debatable vegetarians), other 30% are vegetarians that drink milk(actual vegetarians).

I don't see any vegetarians in India being malnutritioned, could you like me to the article that says it makes them physically malnutritioned? there are many food other than meat that offer high protein with less fat, as well as there are food with healthy fat, like ghee, yogurt, milk, etc,

(im a meat eater from a vegan family)

Originally posted by JailTales

We all have anecdotal evidence of anything. Some of the healthiest, most physically impressive specimens I know stuff their face with KFC at least twice a week.

I'm sure you can find parents who say that beating their child did good, but on the whole the evidence says otherwise, and their one (biased) account stands for nothing. My brother (who's smoked since 13) appears to be healthy as you like and is 6'4, is that evidence that smoking doesn't stunt growth and cause health problems?

Smoking does indeed have risk factors, meaning the risks of certain problems are higher with smokers. My grandfather died of emphysema at age 64, but his wife, who was also a heavy smoker, lived to aged 85.

So, maybe you should re-word your argument to say that there are some risks involved in feeding a child a vegetarian diet, rather than stating that ALL vegetarians who force their child to eat such a diet is stunting health and growth potential. I have been careful to make sure my daughter gets all the necessary nutrients for her growth and development. Therefore, the risks in feeding her a vegetarian diet are nil.

There are risks involved in feeding a child an omnivorous diet as well, (i.e., McDonald's, KFC, etc.).

My own personal opinion is that there are much higher health risks involved in feeding a child a vegan diet, without a lot of supplements. The more restrictive the diet is, the harder it becomes to make sure the child is getting the required nutrition.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Bottom line: parents need to be very aware of and involved in their children's dietary needs. This alleviates and/or eliminates any risks, regardless of the type of diet.

Originally posted by luciddream

Originally posted by JailTales

Originally posted by luciddream
The key word is "returned".

People who are born vegetarians stay vegetarians, but people who became vegetarians in the middle if they don't have a strong mind, they will given in.

Lets also remember, in the interest of fairness, that while people born vegetarians might not have mental struggles it's documented that they're physically malnourished.

It's much more health beneficent and non-damaging for an adult to take up a vegetarian diet. A child raised on a vegetarian diet, or god forbid a vegan diet, will end up physically inferior to others.

Vegetarianism in adults should be promoted, vegetarian for children I believe borders on child cruelty.

Could you tell in what way they are malnutritioned? Are you talking about vegetarians that don't drink milk? because those vegetarians are later hybrids that arose from normal vegetarianism(drinks milk).

India, its probably the #1 country in being vegetarian, about 40% of 1.2 Billion population are vegtarians, about 10% in that are vegetarians who eat eggs(debatable vegetarians), other 30% are vegetarians that drink milk(actual vegetarians).

I don't see any vegetarians in India being malnutritioned, could you like me to the article that says it makes them physically malnutritioned? there are many food other than meat that offer high protein with less fat, as well as there are food with healthy fat, like ghee, yogurt, milk, etc,

(im a meat eater from a vegan family)

You must be pulling my leg? Indians healthy? Don't make me laugh.

But go on, why not tell us the difference in size between vegetarian Indians and meat eating Indians. Compare the meat eating Indians in the West to those little fellas of Ghandi proportion in India. Do the same for the whole of Asia. Let me know what you find

Most Western Indians are about 6'2 and built, most Indians in India are about 5'8 and boy size

Originally posted by kaylaluv

Originally posted by JailTales

We all have anecdotal evidence of anything. Some of the healthiest, most physically impressive specimens I know stuff their face with KFC at least twice a week.

I'm sure you can find parents who say that beating their child did good, but on the whole the evidence says otherwise, and their one (biased) account stands for nothing. My brother (who's smoked since 13) appears to be healthy as you like and is 6'4, is that evidence that smoking doesn't stunt growth and cause health problems?

Smoking does indeed have risk factors, meaning the risks of certain problems are higher with smokers. My grandfather died of emphysema at age 64, but his wife, who was also a heavy smoker, lived to aged 85.

So, maybe you should re-word your argument to say that there are some risks involved in feeding a child a vegetarian diet, rather than stating that ALL vegetarians who force their child to eat such a diet is stunting health and growth potential. I have been careful to make sure my daughter gets all the necessary nutrients for her growth and development. Therefore, the risks in feeding her a vegetarian diet are nil.

There are risks involved in feeding a child an omnivorous diet as well, (i.e., McDonald's, KFC, etc.).

My own personal opinion is that there are much higher health risks involved in feeding a child a vegan diet, without a lot of supplements. The more restrictive the diet is, the harder it becomes to make sure the child is getting the required nutrition.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Bottom line: parents need to be very aware of and involved in their children's dietary needs. This alleviates and/or eliminates any risks, regardless of the type of diet.

But with all due respect you have no idea what you're talking about. I know your type of vegetarian and I'm not buying it for one minute.

Your argument doesn't even make sense, you're saying that because some vegetarian children can be healthy that I shouldn't highlight the health risks and stupidity of forcing a child to be vegetarian. But would you accept me making the same argument towards cigarettes? Some children could probably smoke them and live until 80, so don't tar all parents with the same stick!! herpityderpderp

reply to post by kaylaluv

My 10-year-old daughter has never eaten meat. She does eat a little seafood, but has only started eating it in the last couple of years. She was raised on dairy, legumes, nuts and grains, a little soy, and lots of veggies and fruits. I would consider that a vegetarian diet, wouldn't you?

I wouldn't consider your daughter's diet to be "vegetarian" because you indicated that she does in fact eat seafood and dairy...just saying

Originally posted by JailTales

But with all due respect you have no idea what you're talking about. I know your type of vegetarian and I'm not buying it for one minute.

Your argument doesn't even make sense, you're saying that because some vegetarian children can be healthy that I shouldn't highlight the health risks and stupidity of forcing a child to be vegetarian. But would you accept me making the same argument towards cigarettes? Some children could probably smoke them and live until 80, so don't tar all parents with the same stick!! herpityderpderp

I respond with a medical article, quoting facts -- and you respond with herpityderpderp??? Boy, I guess you showed me.

There are health risks with any type of diet. My point was, you can lower those risks to nothing by paying attention to the nutrients your child is getting. And your child can get adequate nutrients on a vegetarian diet, as per the medical article I linked. Your point was.... herpityderpderp. Gotcha.

Originally posted by Ericthenewbie
reply to post by kaylaluv

 

My 10-year-old daughter has never eaten meat. She does eat a little seafood, but has only started eating it in the last couple of years. She was raised on dairy, legumes, nuts and grains, a little soy, and lots of veggies and fruits. I would consider that a vegetarian diet, wouldn't you?

I wouldn't consider your daughter's diet to be "vegetarian" because you indicated that she does in fact eat seafood and dairy...just saying

She was an ovo-lacto vegetarian from birth to age 8. Therefore, she has spent the majority of her life and growth development so far, as a vegetarian. I never claimed she was a vegan.

reply to post by kaylaluv


Umm your comment confuses me a little as it isn't inline with the definitions of "vegetarian" nor "ovo-lacto vegetarianism";

Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets (fruits, vegetables, etc.), with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat (red meat, poultry, and seafood). Abstention from by-products of animal slaughter, such as animal-derived rennet and gelatin, may also be practiced.

An ovo-lacto vegetarian (or lacto-ovo vegetarian) is a vegetarian who does not eat animal flesh of any kind, but is willing to consume dairy and egg products. In contrast, a vegetarian who consumes no animal products at all is called a vegan.

Sources;

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by Ericthenewbie
reply to post by kaylaluv

 

Umm your comment confuses me a little as it isn't inline with the definitions of "vegetarian" nor "ovo-lacto vegetarianism";

Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets (fruits, vegetables, etc.), with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat (red meat, poultry, and seafood). Abstention from by-products of animal slaughter, such as animal-derived rennet and gelatin, may also be practiced.

An ovo-lacto vegetarian (or lacto-ovo vegetarian) is a vegetarian who does not eat animal flesh of any kind, but is willing to consume dairy and egg products. In contrast, a vegetarian who consumes no animal products at all is called a vegan.

Sources;

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

edit on 18-4-2012 by Ericthenewbie because: highlights

Like I said, she has been a vegetarian for most of her life. She only eats seafood about twice a month now, so it's not really adding anything to her daily diet, but yes, strictly speaking, she has not been a vegetarian for 2 years. For 8 years, she WAS a vegetarian. All those 8 years, she was a very healthy little girl. Still is.