The Benefits of Vegetarianism

Paper Summary:

The paper attempt to justify why a vegetarian lifestyle not only benefits one's health but also contributes to the conservation of the environment. The paper looks at studies that reflect the health disadvantages of a vegetarian diet but then relates that there are lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and various forms of cancers among vegetarians. The paper discusses the expansion of livestock production and how it has caused alarming stress on the world's natural resources. The paper therefore shows how vegetarianism does not merely answer the challenges of a healthy lifestyle; it allows a person to participate in keeping society's resources sustainable. The paper provides an annotated bibliography.

Outline:
Vegetarianism and Man's Basic Nutrition
The Contribution of Vegetarianism to Conserving the Environment

From the Paper:

"The increasing trend towards globalization has forced economies in both developing and first world countries to increase productivity to supply population demand. The increasing population has also caused a high demand for foodstuffs and a consequent strain on the environment. Currently, there are approximately 6 billion people inhabiting this earth and more than 81 million people are added to the global population annually (Sierra Club, no date). The International Food Policy Research Institute (Pinstrup-Andersen, Pandya-Lorch, and Rosegrant, 1999) has approximated that 73 million people will be added between 1995 and 2020, with the rural population expected to increase by less than 300 million. On the other hand, there will be a doubling of the urban population to 3.4 billion by the year 2020. The doubling of the urban population and their increased consuming power will consequently lead to a higher demand for food. However, this imbalance and the continuing depletion of food sources are envisioned to cause relevant environmental and food supply problems by as early as 2020."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dwyer, J. T. (1994). "Vegetarian eating patterns: science, values and food choices - where do we from here?" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59(Suppl): 1255S-1262S.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (November 2006). Livestock impacts on the environment. [Online.] Retrieved 18 April 2008 from the Web site: http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (13 March 2008). Livestock and environment. [Online.] Retrieved 16 April 2008 from the Web site: http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/themes/en/Environment.html
• Garrett, J. R. (2007). "Utilitarianism, vegetarianism, and human health: a response to the causal impotence objection." Journal of Applied Philosophy, 24(3): 222-233.
• Haddad, E. H., Sabate, J., & Whitten, C. G. (1999). "Vegetarian food guide pyramid: a aconceptual framework." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(Suppl): 615S-619S.

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