Vegetarianism/veganism.

LOL yeah its getting there only:
Sainsburys
ASDA
Tesco
Morrisons
Acado
And many, many corner shops to go

LiveAndLetDie:

A cat has claws to catch and kill prey.
A shark has huge teeth to catch and kill prey.

Humans have always had to make things to catch and kill prey. It's not natural for us to be eating other animals; if it was do you not think we'd have been born with claws or huge teeth?

It's a social influence that says we should eat me. It's a non-conformist idea not to. I think it has very little to do with the science of it. It's a lot more about what perceive is right and wrong. And that comes from what we've been taught.

humans are born with incisors for cutting things, canines for tearing meat, and molars for chewing. humans are designed to eat everything other than extremely fibrous food. you could quite easily say that because humans can't digest them, we shouldn't eat sweetcorn, or tomato pips, but we still do. humans can eat most things, and we are designed to be able to eat most things, including meat.

it's not a non conformist idea not to eat meat, it is a simple choice, do I want to be responsible for the death and mistreatment of animals/do i not think that it is as important as other things, or do I want to let the animal live. It isn't about not conforming, it is about doing what you think is right.

it also isn't a social issue, as a lot of cultures do not eat specific meats, therefore not eating meat isn't a social issue in these countries, it is relatively normal.

people have almost always eaten meat. we are born with opposable thumbs, so that we can create things to trap animals. we have canines so we can tear the meat off the bone. our digestive systems are designed to be able to digest both meat and plants.

apologies for the lack of capitals, my shift key isn't working properly

perhaps, but because it is based on religion, I don't think so, because i think that if you have to use religion to convinse someone to do something, then people must have been doing it already. (i'm not sure that made complete sense0

ChipmunkOnKetamine:

humans are born with incisors for cutting things, canines for tearing meat, and molars for chewing. humans are designed to eat everything other than extremely fibrous food. you could quite easily say that because humans can't digest them, we shouldn't eat sweetcorn, or tomato pips, but we still do. humans can eat most things, and we are designed to be able to eat most things, including meat.

our digestive systems are designed to be able to digest both meat and plants.

apologies for the lack of capitals, my shift key isn't working properly

Even though human 'canine' teeth may resemble a canine's sharp tooth for eating meat, it is actually quite different from, say, a dog's tooth. Human teeth are blunt compared to other carnivorous animals, for starters. Hell, even some herbivorous animals teeth are sharper. My guinea pig's are sharper than mine.

Our digestive system is actually more able to digest plant than meat.

I read this interesting article on the matter. It basically supports evidence that humans are more herbivorous than we think.

but we can still digest meat, and we still have the teeth, even if they aren't as sharp as animals teeth. We have evolved to no longer need our teeth to attack our prey, which is probably why they are no longer as sharp as dogs.

While speaking on this matter, if you believe that humans are evolved from monkeys, then surely that adds further to the suspician that humans were not designed to eat meat. Since moneys don't eat meat.

However, I think that there is nothing wrong with eating meat, natrual or unnatrual to us it may appear, because at the end of the day, most things humans do, eat ect are unnatrual in some shape or form.

ChipmunkOnKetamine:

but we can still digest meat, and we still have the teeth, even if they aren't as sharp as animals teeth. We have evolved to no longer need our teeth to attack our prey, which is probably why they are no longer as sharp as dogs.

And what do you propose we evolved from? As Simple And Clean stated, if you believe that we evolved from primates, then surely that just reinforces the fact that our bodies are more suited to an herbivorous diet? Not that I disagree with eating meat, I don't - I'm just being logical here.

Chris Martin:

And since people tend to REALLY stereotype veggies (see above quote), I'd appreciate it if you'd stop making ME look like a nut, because I assure you, I am probably the single most sane vegan you will ever know.

So what, your implying that all other vegans, with the exception of you, are by no means 'sane' ?
Isn't that contradicting yourself, when you've just described how vegetarians are stereotyped.
Well, isn't that what your doing here?

I do apologize If I came across as rude.

Simple and Clean:

While speaking on this matter, if you believe that humans are evolved from monkeys, then surely that adds further to the suspician that humans were not designed to eat meat. Since moneys don't eat meat.

I always have a problem with this phrase, "Humans came from monkeys". Humans did not "come from" monkeys, monkeys and humans evolved together from a similar ancestor. (Making us all hominoids, hence the homo- prefix in our genus / species name.) But it's not like monkeys spawned us, which is what the term implies.

Monkeys usually eat fruit and nuts, but you forget that many eat ants and other bugs. (Making them carnivorous). Also, some species, though rare, have been observed eating meat.

Faye Merci:

Monkeys usually eat fruit and nuts, but you forget that many eat ants and other bugs. (Making them carnivorous). Also, some species, though rare, have been observed eating meat.

Also Chimpanzees eat bushbabies and they are the closest relatives to humans
Gorillas and orangutans (the other great apes that are closely related to humans) both eat insects and orangutans eat bird eggs.

^What difference does being a women make? Men need all those proteins has well. Since you already had an iron deficiency obviously becoming vegetarian was not a good idea. I'm vegetarian and I never get sick. But I also make sure I get all the nutrients I need. I take a lot of vitamins. That's really what it takes to be a healthy vegetarian/vegan. There are some nutrients that you can only naturally get from meat, so you have to take supplements.

^^ To put it simply, it is more important for women to stay on top of their necessary iron needs because of our periods. It's not the proteins that make the difference, it's the iron. When you bleed once a month, what do you think happens to the iron stores in your body?

Anemic women especially need to be on top of this (bertmccracken and I are one in this, I too am anemic) but most of the iron supplements wreak havoc with my digestive system, so I can't use them because they make me sick, and I then lose all the other nutrients in the food because my body doesn't digest quick enough.

My doctor recommends that I take a lower-level iron supplement (I've found one, finally, that I can tolerate) and eat red meat at least twice a week. Yes, the proteins are important, but the iron is what is needed to keep the blood strong and able to move the other nutrients around.

Okay, that makes sense to me. I didn't think about that at all. But for someone who doesn't have that problem being a vegetarian would be fine. I mean, if it's really not good for you and you get unhealthy, you shouldn't do it.

Of course. Vegetarianism is a choice, and I applaud anyone who is able to do it. But there is a line between vegetarians who are understanding and others who are militant. I eat meat for my own reasons, but I do choose meat from "humane" farms as often as possible (free-range, antibiotic-free, etc) because while I do believe that animals were meant for food, that doesn't mean they should be mistreated or made to suffer. I do eat vegetarian meals as well; I just prefer to keep healthy by eating the amount of meat that is recommended for me.

There's a huge difference between a serving of beef from a cruelty-free farm and a Double Quarter Pounder from McDonald's. While I understand the vegetarians' view on that the cow had to die either way, at least the smaller farm raised the animal and treated it well; whereas McDonald's doesn't have the greatest track record. Tyson farms have a better reputation than KFC's farms.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in today's world, it is possible to make better informed choices on where your meat and/or animal products come from, and it's possible to eat meat that was raised (and butchered) in a way that causes the animal the least harm possible.

I actually met a guy who works at a McDonalds factory farm, who is now woirking at the Renaissance faire I was with for a few years

Apparently, at least McDonalds farms are a lot more humane then people give them credit for. For example, if the animal in question makes a distress call before it goes in to be killed, or anytime during the process, they can't kill it. The animals are all sedated before being killed as well. Im not sure about the living space, but I do know the animals are given respect before they are made into meat.

^Yep, you pretty much said it all, psychochip. If I could get all meat from a cruelty free farm, then I would eat it, but I can't so I don't.

Like I was trying to say with the Mikky Ds reference,. not all Factory farms are cruel. Especially if you get it from the Midwest. In the last year, there have been a lot of huge changes in the meat industry here thanks to new laws regarding the treatment of animals in [all] farms. The best thing to do, really, is check the label, look the company up, and see what dirt they have on them. Smaller companies are usually a safe bet, where as things like Fast Food chains may be someone one would want to avoid.

However, I am concerned about some of the laws that have started up regarding the limitless amount they are allowed to pollute. I hate how the government will strict up on some things, and then break the rest of the walls down. Given I live between the farm and the city, I was always lucky enough to experience a lot of how family farms operate. Im eternally disappointed on how the family farm is being wiped out, seeing at they are usually very humane and enviormentally sound. What has happened to the world >_>