Why do vegetarians insist that they eat healthily?

Question

You cant just read a book about beaing a veggie and be healthy. It is shocking to see how few vegetarians actually know anything about their own body. How many of you have seen license medical professionals about your diet? details please, not vague responses about your vitamin profiles.

Also why do vegetarians insist on prefacing all their posts with "well, I have been a vegetarian for X years, so this is why X"?

I never said I wasn't a vegetarian, nor did I say my grandmother gave me all my advice. I am a nutrition major at UMD, and I was a vegan, but after studying in a real university (not just reading the packaging of peace cereal, and the wall at whole foods), I developed a greater understanding of my body. There is no group on yahoo answers talking about how their strict meat eating diet is superior, and humane. Contrarily there is one for self righteous vegetarians, who eat, probably, just as unhealthily.

Imjust saying that you knew nothing about nutrition before you became a veggie, what makes you think you are a health guru now that you have elminated a part of our diet that has been that way for 500,000 years.

How about instead of being defensive one vegetarian should answer the question. Its like you have alist of rehearsed fatcules that you spit out about not being able to digest meat, where as there is a vast biological argument for jsut the opposite of what your cliaming. Primarily that all top line predators do not have the intestinal tracks to digest food high in fat, the reason being...so they dont live ot be 80 over eat all the animals, and throw off the balance. Our inability to digest meat is for the greater of the species. STOP GETTING ALL YOUR FACULES FROM PETA PAMPHLETS AT THE LOCAL CO_OP!!!

Answer 1

My question is, why do people who eat meat insist that their diet is healthy? The majority of people live off a junk food diet. Fried chicken and fast food are not healthy. Some people may not eat this way, but the majority does. Eating meat does not mean that a diet is healthy, balanced and complete.

When I used to eat meat my diet was diplorable. The majority of my food intake was the meat. I rarely ate more than two servings of veggies a day(sometimes at dinner).

I have a profession that requires yearly check ups. I have never been told that I was unhealthy, or my diet was not balanced.

Reading a book may not make vegetarians now all there is about health, but eating meat your whole life, and mom and grandma telling you you need meat doesn't make you an expert on nutrition either.

**Edit - Now I remember you, you were here a few weeks back with the same question. Just because you are studying nutrition in college does not make you an expert. I finished college have a degree and still do not profess to be an expert on the area I majored in. Text book knowlege is a lot different from real knowlege. Anyone can read a bunch of text books on nutrition. I love people that are in college, always think they have all the answers(that is until they hit the real world)

Answer 2

There are vegetarian choices at most restaurants these days, including fast food places. You'll find lots of websites that will give you good recipes, many involving pasta. As for supplements, think about what you're giving up and how to replace it. The most important replacement is protein, which is found in beans, nuts, grains and tofu. A vegetarian diet isn't just water and celery any more. You can eat many soups, salads, breads, and desserts. You may even be doing that now without knowing it.

Answer 3

Hi! I'm a vegetarian, and I don't insist I'm healthy. I eat a lot of junk, but the majority of vegetarians, are more conscious of what they eat (since they exclude meat etc), so they become conscious of healthy/unhealthy eating habits. But having said that, it is not a rule by any means. I, for example, do eat healthily, but I'd never insist I eat super-healthy because I also treat myself quite frequently =]] hehe

I've had a blood test, and as modestly as I may say, everything was near ideal (of course, not perfect!!). Also, I'm at a pretty healthy weight. Oh, and I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, so thisis why I am answering your question. Only kidding! I have no idea why. Maybe to assure the questioner that they know what they are talking about?? I dunno.
Ok, hope I helped ya xx

Answer 4

Quite frankly I think the Answers area for vegetarians & vegans is for those of us who want to share our experiences with each other and answer people who have legitimate questions about our lifestyle - not for pathetic individuals who like to anonymously annoy people for attention.

So, you're a "nutrition" major - good for you, I hope you don't think you already know everything. :)

Why do we need to consult with a "license medical professional"? True, some vegetarians don't balance their diet very well and just eat things that are "easy" and not very healthy but that doesn't have to do with vegetarianism it has to do with being lazy. Most people do not need a "professional" to tell them how to eat healthy. (Do non-vegetarians need to consult with nutritionists also?)

As far as vegetarians who actually "know anything about their own body" Are you going to tell us about how are teeth were made for eating meat - wrong. How our digestive systems were designed for a meat diet - wrong. Yes, we have eaten alot of meat for the last 50,000 years - have you studied evolution at all? It might describe how some individuals break away from the bigger group, over time, to do things better - and often those individuals survive while the rest of the group dies off.

Yes, I have been a vegetarian for 20 years and I believe X, Y, and Z because "these have been my experiences with vegetarianism". I think this is better than - "I have always eaten meat, and my family eats meat, and I have always been TOLD that meat is good for you and you will die without it."

Ignorant people think they know so much - intelligent people know they know so little...

Additional Details: Well, ask a good question then - if you want a good answer! Your question is a gross generalization about "vegetarians" and your supporting comments are vague and unintelligent. Try another posting that makes more sense.

Answer 5

Healthy people live longer. Look at Jack Lalanne. Of course he exercises too. The healthier your body is the longer you will live and that is a fact. Also you dont have to be 100% Vegetarian i would recommend 75 to 80% if you can get Farm fed and raised meat that wont kill you. Its all about moderation. I gave up fast food 20 years ago.

Answer 6

It's a lifestyle choice, I'm not, I've know quite a few over my life. Like all life style choices you get out what you put in, to be a strict vegan i.e. no meat or dairy of any kind takes a lot of research some do some don't just like any other group of people.

Answer 7

A lot of people, in general, do not eat very healthfully. Fried foods, processed foods, and sugary, fat-filled foods make up a large portion of a lot of people's diets. Vegetarians, however, do have an advantage in that they do not eat cholesterol-laden foods aka animal products. Many, many diseases occur less frequently in vegetarian populations. So many studies have been done by valid health organizations that there is just no refuting it. If you want to lower your cholesterol or live longer with heart disease or you have diabetes it is recommended that you limit animal products. If you want to talk about vagueness, how about all the people like you who post questions like this but give no valid arguement FOR eating animal products. Go ahead. tell me one good health reason to eat animal products and I will prove to you with valid references why you are wrong. Give me something specific to reply to and I'll gladly do so (just click add details...). But if you want an answer to your broad question of "Why do vegetarians insist that they are healthy" the answer is: because eating animal products is bad for you and eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is good for you!

And as for why people cite their own years of experience as a vegetarian...um, because sharing personal experience and knowledge is what Answers is all about.

Answer 8

Why do some non-vegetarians seem to have such an aggressive and hostile fascination with vegetarians? Who cares, really, if some people choose not to eat meat (that leaves more for you, if you think about it...)!

I'm not quite sure why you would put so much energy into caring about something which really should neither affect nor offend you personally. Live and let live!

Answer 9

I don't know. Why do many christians believe they are the only true faith? Why do the republicans think they're smarter than the democrats? Why do the democrats think they're more humane than the republicans? Why does one country think it has the right to tell another how to run it's business? Why to any of these questions? Maybe it's a need to self-validate.

Answer 10

vegetarians don't eat meat because they're against the slaughtering of animals. sure you get protein from meat, but you can also get it in other ways, so you don't necessarily need meat. my brothers girlfriend is a vegetarian and she's the healthiest person i know.