If vegetarianism is so unhealthy, why does the ADA say otherwise?

Question

The American Dietetic Association and the Dietetic Association of Canada state that vegetarians can get adequate nutrition with a balanced diet. They are recognized as the foremost authority on nutrition by the health care profession.

So why are some people on YA still spreading misinformation about vegetarianism being unhealthy?

If you want to eat meat that's your choice. I don't really want to debate the philosophical arguments--what motivates someone to make a certain choice is up to the individual. But I must admit it irritates me when people talk as if they are authorities on nutrition and they don't have their facts straight.

I am a 50 year old male, lacto vegetarian for 23 years. I go to my doctor regularly. Why is my blood work within normal limits? Why isn't my doctor telling me I'd better start eating meat? If your answer is "he doesn't know anything"; are you a doctor or licensed dietitian? If you aren't, then you aren't qualified. Plain and simple.

To foodtvfan: Thank you for the article, but being a vegetarian doesn't automatically mean one follows every ridiculous form of quackery that comes by. I feel the man who wrote it is biased. I work in mental health and I know of people who ate weird things like egg shells, shoes, and batteries. I could come out and say "look how these meat eaters are hurting themselves" but I don't do that. My wife is a Licensed Dietitian and she has patients who claim they are vegetarians and they have serious eating disorders but that doesn't prove all vegetarians have eating disorders. I could also come up with some phony statistics about how meat eaters are more likely to sexually abuse their children. If vegetaranism is just "trendy" how come Hindus, Jains and Buddhist have adopted it for thousands of years? That's a heck of a long trend. That's like calling Christianity a "passing fad."

I didn't say anything about Animal Rights. Nor did I say anything about a diet without meat always being more heathly. Somebody could eat nothing but potato chips and Cool Whip and be a vegetarian. That wouldn't be a healthy diet, though.

To: "The one with a tail."

Yes, I do take nutrition seriously, but I'm married to a Licensed Dietitian and that kind of goes with the territory. I am not a dietitian but my wife and I are a team.

I like humor a lot, but I know that sometimes people can't tell the difference between jokes and seriousness. I don't make fun of people on Y/A because of their religion, race, disability, sexual preference, etc.
But did I make fun of the person who said "I think I might be a werewolf?" You bet I did.

I saw comedian Ron White on TV once. He said "if you're a vegetarian, shut up." Then he told a story about a vegetarian who said "I feel sick, that soup must have had beef broth in it." Mr. White said "Well, you're a real manly man aren't you?"
It might upset a few of my fellow vegetarians, but I laughed.
But Mr. White's purpose was just to make people laugh; he wasn't trying to pretend he's an expert in nutrition or something. I'm okay with that. If somebody butts into a serious conversation just to make silly comments, that would be disruptive; regardless of how funny the person might perceive himself to be.

Thanks Mountaingirl: I'm not that upset about it, I haven't heard anybody in real life make stupid comments about it for years. I just go to my job, etc., and hardly ever mention my vegetarianism to anybody unless I have to. Nobody makes a big deal out of it in real life. My wife's family are mostly vegetarians. I was just commenting about the negative comments and misinformation here on YA.

One more comment to foodtvfan:

Yes, opinions are fine, but some things aren't a matter of opinion when scientific evidence backs it up.

You can have an opinion that "the earth is flat", but most people in this day in age aren't going to take you seriously.

Answer 1

plain and simply... misinformation and ignorance.
It's obious that anyone making such claims is doing so because they have no real idea what they are talking about. I would almost think that there are some who say things like that because we, as vegetarians, are different. Some who make comments that are snide because they haven't the will power to try it for themselves, and those who don't know what they are talking about because their information comes from other uninformed sources or just because their parents told them so. It's basicly the old "If you masterbate too much you'll go blind" theory. comical really. The other category are those we all know well. Those who just want to bash those different from themselves... you can look through history and see that there are a lot of those who we care not to think of...
I hope that answers what you are asking.

Answer 2

I just think that people who make outrageous statements against vegetarianism are most likely misinformed and just repeating their misinformation. Also, for some reason it seems like some people are threatened by the idea of someone being a vegetarian, almost as if the vegetarian is saying "I'm better than you" which is ridiculous. But in all fairness, there are some vegetarians who are very in your face types and try to make people feel guilty if they like to eat meat.

I prefer a vegetarian diet mostly because I don't like the fact that animals are given hormones, antibiotics and god knows what else. I am also just not that crazy about the taste of any meat except for some fish. But that doesn't mean that I think someone who eats meat is beneath me. If I were you I just wouldn't worry about the nay sayers and people who feel threatened. Just stick to what's best for you and maybe educate those who don't understand what a healthy form of vegetarianism is.

Answer 3

I understand that some people are misinformed and the ones that politely state that people need meat and so on don't really bother me but it's the ones who make insulting comments and result to childish name calling that do. One guy who goes by "nice guy" claims to be a doctor and give people off the wall statistics and bogus research data to try and justify being a meat eater. One person asked if a vegetarian diet would help with his vision and someone seriously told him to put a few drops of boric acid in his eye to clear it up. These answers went from jokes to potentially dangerous. For these reasons I have been reporting these people who violate the terms and conditions and community guidlines. I also block them. Then someone else brought up a point that the questions are not being removed so I looked at the ones I reported and they were not being removed. I wrote to the yahoo answers team and asked what was going on and also put a suggestion for better screening in the suggestion comment section. I still have yet to hear from anyone regarding these complaints. I strongly urge anyone to do the same. There are a lot of people on here that don't know the difference between a sick joke and could take this advice and seriously damage themselves. I would love to see yahoo answers cleaned up.

Answer 4

I want to let you know, I have lived most of my life as a vegetarian. I ,as a Seventh day Adventist learned the health message as taught by that church for over 150 years., as a young child I chose to be a vegetarian. My Mother as well along with my sister. I won't proclaim I am still a vegetarian, but I know it is the healthiest diet plan when you eat a wide variety of vegetables and whole grain breads. Also we do not eat the foods on the unclean list still today that God gave Moses in the laws of health for the children of Israel. Leviticus 11:1-47

Answer 5

Edit to MikeL: You can feed more poeple on a plant derived food base than meat.

The Vegan and vegetarian diet is the best diet in the world for curing a range of illnesses. This has been proven. people who eat meat 3/4 times a day and are sick - chronically sick are put on Vegan/vegetarian diets and immediate feal results!!

Being vegan is healthier, than any other diet possible and that isn't even touch the hormones and antibiotics, used in raising animals, and the possibilities and realities of meat borne illness, Mad Cow Disease etc. .

Better for your heart. Proven to reduce heart disease, and even reverse coronary heart disease.

Automatically lower s your cholesterol levels. The only foods that contain cholesterol are animal products, like meat and dairy. And since a three-decade-long study found that not a single subject with a cholesterol level below 150 has ever developed heart disease, that's hard to ignore!

Vegans have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gallstones.

Reduces stroke risks and coronary artery disease.

Reduces symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Reduces food poisoning. 95% of food poisoning is linked to animal products.

Your bowels will work much better, therefore, keeping your whole system healthier.

Live longer healthier lives. One 21-year-long study that compared meat-eaters and vegetarians showed that the greater the meat consumption, the greater the death rate from all causes combined.

Increased vegetable and fruit intake reduces your need for taking a multi vitamin plus increases your antioxidant intake.

There is no proof, what so ever, that a person must eat animal flesh or any by products of animals to be healthy, yet there is overwhelming proof that it truely is best not to!

The vegan lifestyle believes the following:
1)Animal products are unnecessary.
2) What you eat is a learned habit.
3) Much healthier to avoid meat and dairy products.
4) Much more environmentally friendly to eat a vegan diet.
5) Feed more people on a plant diet than animal based one.
6) Using animals is incredibly cruel. Why force any pain?
7) Religion/ spiritual reasons "Thou shalt not kill."
8) Saves money....
9) Reduces National debt.
10) Vegan food tastes great!

A vegan would live by this view

"One can't be a true environmentalist and still be eating animal products.
Today's "modern agriculture", egg industry and dairy industry are just as cruel as the slaughterhouses, veal, pork, beef,turkey farms etc.

All are simple facts, so can anyone justify still eating meat??"

A lot of meat eaters are hooked into the fact that meat must be consumed for protein and feed people like Mike above. Absolute rubbish. If a balanced food plan for either vegan or vegetarian is used and not someone eating crisp sandwiches and living off sweetened black coffee - and claiming to be vegan BUT a balanced food plan then there is no reason why they should not be fealing the health benifits.

I dont understand why people on this forum carry on so much about the saving of animals. Its a added bonus to eat and not harm animals but no body can discount the health benifits!!!

Answer 6

Well you asked, so I assume you want to hear others opinions but even though I doubt most people will read it and just click the thumbs down instead ... I will tell you, hoping you remember that the question was ASKED.

It's not so much the "health" aspect as it is the fact that for some it has became some sort of political crusade with a thugary attached to it, if you look at what some of the groups claiming animal rights have done you can see why it's so unfavorable. I have family members who lives in an area where one of these wacked out groups broke into a mink farm and set them all loose, about 10,000 of them. Well then the minks set out to do what minks do. People's pets (including some of those who did the break in) were killed by the minks. They got into a chicken farm and killed the birds. Attacked small children. Impossible to round up and they had to be shot or trapped to keep them from killing every small creature they could sink their teeth into. So not only did they not manage to save those animals, but they ended up killing the pets of people who treasured their own animals like children. I guess if the goal is to give animals rights to do what they do they succeeded, because animals kill other animals.

I love my pet, and I would never be cruel to an animal. And I don't eat the animals that people would have as pets. But SOMETHING does or would if given the chance, just like you see in my above story. I also realize that people eat animals to sustain their own lives just like animals eat other animals. I believe it's a new "trendy" thing to not eat meat. And they don't even think about the fact that once upon a time there were no supermarkets. And in the winter time many people would starve being a vegitarian because nothing grows in areas where it snows deep and for months. You have to eat what's available, and that's animals, fish and birds. The whole idea of "animal rights" needs to include the fact that animals themselves kill other animals to survive. So taking that "right" away from humans would give animals more rights than humans.

Answer 7

I myself am not a vegetarian, but I don't see why choosing that life style would be unhealthy. I think that whatever way you choose to live is right as long as you pay attention to what you are eating and get the appropriate amount of vitamins and iron into your system.

Answer 8

I am not a vegetarian...I really feel for those of you out there who have to put up with the lude and crude remarks about your diets and practices....it is really annoying.....and I read them everyday.....I really get tired of reading those remarks as they are not necessary....you eat what you want and I will eat what I want......good for you for making a great point.....KUDOS

Answer 9

I just like meat with my potatoes!:D I have relatives that are strict about it. Whatever you like to eat is fine :)

Answer 10

I try to stay away from this nonsense
BUT
I do not hear anyone saying it is Unhealthy
I hear it is illogical
and V&V are worse,, condeming the others,,
Just for being normal humans with their cruelity nonsese..
why can't V&V stop advertising and just let live.
I know I don't care OR know you
but stop lieing.and speading rumors
you solve the problem of starving nations.
99 % of humans eat meat.
solve the problem produce a 100 tons of meat for monday to be shipped around the world????