Week 7 - Expert Lecture - Why Turn Vegetarian?

The little video entitled Why Turn Vegetarian? is the first thing in this class (lecture, reading, or short film) that has more fallacious arguments, or at least half-truths, then it does actual sound arguments. A significant portion of the arguments given are not mutually inclusive with eating meat (I'm not sure I worded this sentence properly so I will explain further). The very first argument is that heart disease begins in childhood and the second argument is that a vegetarian diet reverses heart disease. To begin with, it isn't clear whether the composers of this film intended this to mean that meat causes heart disease or that any cause of heart disease, genetic or otherwise, begins in childhood. Meat does not cause heart disease by itself (but obviously too much of anything is unhealthy) and if someone is predisposed to to a condition like heart disease, simply not eating meat is not a cure-all.

The third argument is an outright fallacy. To proclaim that meat makes you fat is not taking into consideration any other factors (exercise, total diet, body type). I eat meat, I eat a lot of meat, but I am by no means “fat.” Obviously, citing my condition alone presents a certain bias, but speaking from a nutritional point of view it is completely accurate. Meat does not make you fat, it just has a high fat content. Saturated fat is another thing entirely (it equates more towards their first two arguments), but when a modest amount of saturated fat is eaten as part of a balanced diet it presents virtually no risk.

The “arguments” continue in this fashion with only a select few of them actually being representative of PETA's intended theme. The only true, sound arguments are those that cite the condition of the animals themselves and the requirements to actually raise these animals. I do not mean the way that they are treated, as any inhuman treatment of these animals is not required to produce the meat (except for the actual killing itself), but the emotions of the animals themselves. Fear is a very real thing and it is obvious that these animals experience it. And any nutrients that these animals require could be used to feed the starving people of the world.

Despite all of these arguments against eating meat, there are quite a few in favor of it. First, we, as omnivorous creatures, are designed to eat meat as well as vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. Second, other animals eat meat, only meat, and do it on a regular basis. If we are to be equated to animals then we both need to be held to the same standards; they eat meat, so we eat meat. Third, meat has many beneficial properties that are very difficult, near impossible in fact, to get from only plants and other grown substances. There are certain fatty acids and one B vitamin in particular that do not occur with enough regularity (if at all) outside of meat, especially if ALL people were to become vegetarians. And finally, I think meat tastes great.