Going vegetarian

For the past 7 weeks now, my diet has been almost strictly vegetarian. (Technically pesca-vegetarian, but I’ll get to that later.) It was an experiment at first, but now I’m starting to think I will keep it up at least for the foreseeable future.

 

Why? I’m not exactly sure, and that is the reason for this blog entry. Naturally, writing helps me organize my thoughts. Since I’m writing something that other people might actually read, I feel at least a little bit obligated to make sense. So by trying to explain to you that I have good enough reasons for being vegetarian, I am convincing myself. I hope.

 

There are a small number of traditional reasons I can think of which people give for being vegetarian. I have known a variety of vegetarian people and they have all stated one or usually a combination of more than one of the four reasons below. None of them are bad reasons, however I don’t think any of them apply directly to me:

1. Religion
   Probably the majority of vegetarians in the world abstain from meat because it is a principle or law relating to their religion. I respect that reasoning, though I personally don’t follow a religion with significant dietary restrictions. But anyway, I have never been one to make any kind of moral or lifestyle decision based on religion. I think the fundamentals of right and wrong and the principles for being a positive contributor to society are ultimately independent of any religious doctrine. It’s just unfortunate that many people do seem to need the convenient excuse or motivation of religion to guide their morals. Speaking of morals, that brings us to the next reason.
    
2. Avoiding animal cruelty
   The most vocal vegetarians, at least in the USA, complain about the unnatural cruelty imposed on animals as part of the modern industrial meat farming process. So by abstaining from meat, these "ethical vegetarians" are showing compassion for animals by not personally contributing to the cruel meat industry, or any killing of animals at all. Cruelty to animals is morally wrong, so avoiding it is right… Right?
    
   Well, the universe is a very cruel place. (Reference the Douglas Adams quote.) Meat-eaters might argue that survival of the fittest and killing and eating animals is just a part of nature, and who are we to call nature immoral? Also in my opinion, one cannot go around constantly worrying about all the suffering going on out there without being very very depressed. I’m not saying you should give up and not care. The world is definitely a better place because there are a lot of people who do care.
    
   So, this argument is inconclusive for me. If I really think about trying to be a good person, then I might lean slightly toward avoiding meat for this reason. But this has never been enough to get me to avoid meat before, and my morals have not suddenly shifted.
    
   As an interesting aside, cultured meat has the potential to allow ethical vegetarians to experience guiltless meat-eating in the not-too-distant future.
    
3. Health
   Many vegetarians claim that a vegetarian diet is healthier. There have been famous scientific studies that present supposedly compelling evidence for vegetarianism. However I’m not quite convinced, for several reasons:
    
   • There are studies these days that "prove" anything, especially in the area of nutrition. It’s obvious that science doesn’t yet truly understand all the complexities of human biochemistry and nutrition.

    

   • I haven’t read those studies, because frankly nutrition is boring. But I have read some of what people say about them, and if there’s one things everyone agrees on, it’s that nobody agrees about anything.

    

   • Vegetarianism alone doesn’t ensure a healthy diet. It’s definitely possible to eat a very unhealthy diet that is vegetarian but includes lots of fat and junk food (and maybe not enough protein), while it’s also possible to eat a very healthy diet that includes meat.

    

   • I’m one of the healthiest people I know, and I’ve been eating meat in no small quantities all my life. While I definitely don’t obsess about my diet (nutrition is boring, remember?) I keep it reasonably healthy, without too much fat or junk food (and no alcohol), and I exercise frequently. While I almost never have any reason to visit a doctor, last fall I went to a free health screening at work. They checked all my stats: cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, BMI, and several other numbers of forgotten nomenclature. Everything was basically spot-on ideal. The nurses were asking me for healthy lifestyle tips, and said that whatever I was doing I should keep doing it! I realize that’s partly just due to the fortunes of good genes and young age. But it certainly doesn’t make a case for a significant change in my diet.
4. No taste for meat
   I list this last one because it is a reason that vegetarians will often give. But it’s almost never really a cause for vegetarianism — it’s more of a self-perpetuating effect. After meat is avoided for an extended time, it becomes a foreign substance that is seen as unpleasant and unwelcome. Personally, I think it will take me a long time for me to reach that point, if I ever do.

So, after analyzing the traditional reasons for vegetarianism, I could say I’m sympathetic to the idea, but not anywhere near being ready to commit. However I do have another reason which is slightly non-traditional but fits me very well.

 

Unfortunately it’s late and I think I’ve written enough for today, so you’ll have to wait to hear about that in part two, coming in a few days. Then I’ll also have to take a look at the reasons not to be vegetarian, weigh the two sides, and see what I come up with.

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