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Jennifer Rosas

Professor Rosenfeld

English 115

10 April 2017

Should We Eat Meat?

Many people do not put much thought into what they are eating, especially not when it

comes to meat. We prefer not to think about how the animal was once alive and

breathing, and how it was put to death just for the pleasure of our consumption. The

condition in which animals are raised for slaughter are inhumane because it is

unacceptable that we put animals though such cruelty for burgers and steaks. The

majority of these animals are raised as captives and their deaths are far from painless.

Over 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans. These shocking figures

do not even include fish and other sea creatures whose deaths are so great they are only

measured in tonnes (Lin). Some may argue that it is to expensive to be vegetarian, but

most people say this referring to how much fruit and vegetables costs because it is sold

by the pound, however a proper omnivore diet should also include these. The only thing

being replaced is the protein source, which can be received from many alternatives like

lentils, beans, rice, etc, and it is no more expensive than quality meat. Having a lifestyle

where meat is not a factor such as vegetarianism is a great alternative for us humans. We

should not eat meat because it is cruel and unethical to kill animals, and not eating it is

beneficial for both us and our planet.

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Although many people think that humans are meant to eat meat, it is in fact the

complete opposite. The human body was not meant to digest meat. Carnivores swallow

their food whole; because of their strong stomach acids they are able to breakdown the

food and kill any bacteria that might sicken or kill them. But our stomach acids are much

weaker than those of a carnivore, and because of our long intestines the meat remains in

our bodies longer allowing there to be more chances of getting sick. Humans have small

soft nails and canine teeth. In contrast carnivores have sharp canine teeth and claws that

allow them to tear up flesh. Much like herbivores, humans have small jaws that move up,

down, and side to side which allows the grinding of vegetables with our rear molars,

that carnivores do not have (Mills). People often say that switching to a plant based diet

is hard it is in fact not as difficult if it is approached in the correct manner. It is something

that needs to be eased into because if you try to switch to a plant based diet from one day

to another you will most likely not succeed because you are too accustomed to eating

meat, but you can start by simply just including more vegetables to your plate and slowly

start cutting out the amount of meat you eat per week then gradually cut it all out

completely, and you do not have to worry about your protein macros being affected

because you can definitely get your protein from other sources like beans, nuts, and

seeds.

Meat is defined in the dictionary as the flesh of an animal for food. But what it does

not mention is that the animal was slaughtered just for the pleasure of eating meat for

humans. It does not talk about how the animals had feelings, a beating heart, and a family

right before a human ended its life. These animals we eat are treated very unfairly in
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slaughterhouses. They are crammed into windowless sheds, wire cages, and crates. Many

of these animals will never see the sun because they are grown and raised in a shed. They

are injected with many antibiotics and hormones so they can grow bigger and faster, not

only does that hurt the animals but that is feeding humans with non organic, bacteria

prone meat. They are genetically modified to grow larger than the normal animal would,

chickens sometimes grow so big that their upper body becomes too big for her legs to

hold so they die from dehydration and starvation because they cannot physically get to

the water and food. The animals are then loaded into jam packed trucks and transferred to

a slaughterhouse with no food or water. Those who survive the long trip are then killed in

an inhumane matter. They are still conscious and living when dunked into hot tanks to

remove hair and while being skinned. Just like we would never eat our dogs or cats we

should not be eating cows, chicken, and pigs. We view other countries that eat dogs or

cats as disgusting but we should also view

the killing of these wild animals as wrong because all life is sacred and equal.

Leaving meat behind and switching

to a plant based diet can help end world

hunger. It is a problem yet to be solved,

and billions of people are suffering from

it every day. There is enough food on

this planet to feed everyone. But why are

people still starving? It is because there is

enough plant based foods to feed a human

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population but instead the crops are being used to feed and grow our animals we will kill

for meat. If we were to take all the grain that is used to feed and bulk up our cows from

the 18-20 months it is alive and compare it to how many people that cow will feed we

would see how the grain would be able to feed many more mouths than that of the meat

of a cow. Tons of corn and soybeans are grown globally but it is not going directly to

feeding humans. Chatham explains, in 2013, scientists from the Institute on the

Environment and the University of Minnesota published a study examining agricultural

resources and the dilemma of world hunger. The scientists reached the conclusion that if

all food crops were fed directly to humans instead of animals, around 70% more food

would be added to the worlds supply, which would be enough to feed 4 billion additional

people (Chatham).

Meat is killing us in many ways. Some of our countrys biggest killers are heart

disease, cancer, and strokes. Meat contains a lot of fat and cholesterol that are not good

for our bodies. Fat, hardens and clogs our arteries which leads back to heart diseases.

Meat also triggers a toxic reaction within the body that weakens the immune system due

to a natural sugar it contains that our bodies cant digest. The body launches an immune

response as it tries to get rid of it and in the meantime, a host of health problems occur,

such as cancer, which is mostly a disease of a weak immune system. Other carnivores can

eat red meat fine, because their bodies actually contain the natural sugar that digests the

meat. Our bodies dont which is a clear sign that were not meant to eat it. The Academy

of Nutrition and Dietetics states that vegetarians and vegans tend to live longer and enjoy

a lower risk of death from heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, and as well as
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lower overall cancer rates. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet can

lower blood sugar, and about 1 in 3 Americans suffer from high blood sugar. People who

remove meat from their diet are 30% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared

to those who do incorporate meat into their diets. Vegetarians also tend to consume fewer

calories and thus weigh less and have lower body mass indexes. Your eyes might also

thank you for switching over to a plant based diet because such foods like spinach, kale,

and squash help prevent loss of eyesight. Eliminating meat from one's diet can also help

clear skin, meat, which is high in fat clogs pores causing breakouts. Vegetarians are also

more inclined to live happier lives because they tend to be more fit and if you look good

you feel good.

The world would be at a great advantage if we did not consume meat. Animals would

not be put through so much pain just to feed us when there are other alternatives. World

hunger would be diminished and people would not be dying of famine.

Work Cited

Chatham, Michael. "Could Veganism End World Hunger?". N.p., 2017. Web. 9 Apr.

2017.

"Eating for Your Health." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2017.

Lin, Doris. "How Many Animals Are Killed Each Year for Human Use?" ThoughtCo.

N.p. 07 Feb. 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

Mills, Milton. "The Comparative Anatomy Of Eating - Vegsource.Com". N.p., 2017.

Web. 9 Apr. 2017.

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