Is vegetarianism right???

Question

My sister wants to go vegetarian.She has never really cared about animals until last week. We believe that she is doing this for attention. Her friends are vergetarian so that could be one possibility for her choice.My parents do not agree with ehr choice.They say it is unheathy for a 16 year-old to not eat meat. What are some possible arguments that they can approach that will guide her away from the idea.

Answer 1

If she is eating a wide variety of foods than it is perfectly healthy. Why she wants to become vegetarian is irrelevant. She is 16 and at an age where she is trying to become a independent person(despite the fact it may be because of her friends). How many kids join sports, change the way they dress, etc because of friends. She needs to be able to make her own choices without being criticized about them. Your parents should be supporting her on her decision and guiding her(which shows they are confident in her ability to choose for herself).

I suggest your parent help her(by doing research about vegetarian nutrition). If this is because of her friends than it will likely only last a short time. If she is met with resistance than she may continue just to rebel against your parents.

She is more than likely going to ignore all the negatives your parents tell her anyway. If she has done her research and is serious she is going to know all the false argument used by people against vegetarianism.

Answer 2

It's right for me.

Now, maybe your sister had an epiphany and realized she does care about the animals. Her friends could have helped her realize that vegetarianism is right for her. For whatever reason she decided to stop eating animals' flesh, you should try to be supportive of her.

And veg*anism is perfectly healthy. As long as she eats a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts, she'll be fine.

Answer 3

TVP has just as much if not more protein in it than meat because it comes from soybeans and beans have protein.
Meat has hormones that are left over in it from when they inject hundreds of meds into the sick and dying animals because they were mistreated and the hormones can mess up a girl's period, her body weight, and can give her health problems.
Milk has those hormones in it too and that the human body cannot properly digest cow's milk and its poisonous to our body. Soymilk has calcium.

By cutting meat out of your diet, you are not only helping your body, but you are also choosing to not conform to today's meat eating society.
Also please watch the video on this website.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-513747926833909

Answer 4

I went vegetarian when i was younger as well. I am not sure if i did it for attention or not. I believe at that age, phases occur. Just let your sis be herself and she will either get over it later or continue. Either way she will be just fine. Encourage her with some cook books that are vegan or vegi only. She is your sis, just stand by her. I found so many healthy ways to cook vegies that kept my body healthy. The only thing you really need to concern yourself with for this sit. is if she dosn't make her habit healthy. Give her the tools to do it right, cook with her. I see no prob with it. At least you ask people and show concerns. lol

Answer 5

She is 16, who are you or your parents to get in the way of a very personal decision such as this?

NO ONE needs meat to be healthy. The only reason that people eat it is because they like the taste.

It can be healthy for someone to be vegetarian from birth and even if she is doing it because of her friends, she is lucky to have friends that can expose her to vegetarianism and if she sticks to it for the rest of her life, it is a wise and noble choice.

Answer 6

There are many reasons why a person would not want to eat animal flesh and someof them have nothing to do with politics of animals.
I have been a vegetarian all of my life and have never eaten meat.
I eat other sources of protein in place of meat proteins.

If your sister likes these other food choices, she will be fine.

Alternative Sources of Protein:

Although many people think that meat is the only source of food that is high in protein, various other non-meat foods are often recommended to people looking for an alternative. At the top of this list are soy products including tofu. These food sources are typically recommended to vegetarians.

In addition to being high in protein, soy-based foods contain less saturated fat than meat and provide fiber as well as vital vitamins and minerals. Soy, a member of the pea family, is used to make a variety of products these days including soy-based milk, ice cream, cheese and yogurt. Soy is also the basis for tofu, which is commonly used in hot dogs, hamburgers and other products made to imitate meat.

While soy is a good source of protein, it is important to remember not to consume too much on a daily basis. Soy contains components known as isoflavones, which tend to imitate estrogen. Consumed in high quantities, isoflavones may disrupt common body functions because of the perceived increase in estrogen. However, this point is still debated and not everyone agrees on just how much soy is safe to eat. Additionally, other reported health benefits of soy, such as lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers and helping to minimize the effects of hot flashes in menopausal women, is still up for debate.

Aside from soy products, other great non-meat sources of protein include:


beans and legumes
nuts
peanut butter
cheese
yogurt
whole grain products

Protein Supplements
Individuals having troubles meeting their protein needs may want to consider using protein supplements. Made from soy or dairy sources, protein supplements come in a variety of forms including protein bars, protein powder (which you use to make into a drink) and already prepared protein shakes. Rich in both protein and calories, protein supplements are not ideal if you are looking to lose weight. Although they are not harmful, these products are not enough to achieve weight loss alone.

Answer 7

I am a vegan from past 25 years and iam quite healthy...your parents are worrying unneccesarily.....

Its ur sister's choice to decide what she wanna eat and not... everyone has there own likes and i guess it would be right to allow her to aleast try it....and see... if she finds it difficult... she will obviously find her way back from vegan eating...

Answer 8

There are none. People eating vegetarian diets are the healthiest in the world.

Read "The China Study".

Oh, and if your parents want to give her a hard time about it, that's their business. But as her brother, you need to butt out of her business.

Answer 9

If she would like to become a vegetarian, then help her. Vegetarianism is a very healthy way of living. So don't hinder her, after all it's her life that she wants to make healthier not your's or you parents

Answer 10

This is the vegetarian and vegan section, and a good number of the responders are just that. You may be in the wrong place to get some support for you/your parents' position.