1

A Taste of Vegetarianism
Whether it be for ethical reasons, health reasons, or simply because they find meat

unappealing, people across Utah and the entire United States are making the decision to follow a

more plant-based diet as vegetarians or vegans. The movement currently is not very large, with a

2018 Gallup poll citing approximately 5% of Americans identify as vegetarian and 3% as vegan,

however many individuals do have strong reasoning behind their decisions.With over 330

million tons of meat consumed in 2017 (Ritchie, 2019), the question of whether or not to indulge

in carnivorous (or rather, omnivorous) tendencies is a troublesome and impactful one.

Many Americans are choosing to switch to a vegetarian or a vegan lifestyle due to the

way commercialized factory farms treat animals. Factory farming, or intensive industrial-level

livestock farming, is a practice that many deem inhumane due to cramped living quarters,

unhygienic conditions, and potentially cruel deaths for the animals. Writing about her visit to a

chicken farming facility, Dr. Aysha Akhtar reflects “The hens are so jam packed that their heads

stick out above, along the sides, even below the cages. Their feet stand on wire grids. They have

nowhere to go. They can’t even stretch their wings” (Akhtar, 2019). Experiences such as this can

be found documented in videos, articles, and photographs online; examples like these motivate

many to cut out the industries that cause such callous treatment of animals. Sadly, the chicken

industry is not the only one that experiences such conditions. With 32.28 million cattle (US Dept

of Agriculture and Economic Research Service, 2019) and nearly 130 million hogs (US Dept of

Agriculture and Economic Research Service, 2019), many of these creatures are being subjected

to conditions that the general populace would find abhorrent. For vegetarians and vegans
 2

concerned with animal rights and treatment, there is a hope that their abstaining from meat

products can reduce the suffering of at least a small number of those animals.

In addition to unsatisfactory living conditions, some vegetarians or vegans abstain from

meat consumption due to the emissions that are released from agriculture. In 2017, the

agriculture industry contributed over 540 million tons of greenhouse gasses into the environment

(EPA, 2019). While this may not be a motivating factor for all, climate change is a concern that

is widely discussed and is considered to be one of this generation’s major issues. Since 1895, the

global temperature has risen from an average 50.34 degrees Fahrenheit to right around 54

degrees Fahrenheit for the last decade (NOAA, 2019). While 4 degrees may not seem like much

initially, the impact from this level of increase is seen on a global scale with events such as the

heat waves screaming across Europe and the polar ice caps melting. Eco-conscious humans

around the globe search for ways to reduce the impact that their lives have on the environment,

and a vegetarian or vegan diet is one such way that many find simplifies their footprint. Making

deliberate choices about the products and foods that you consume can benefit the world for

countless generations to come. Researcher Marco Springmann and colleagues, in association

with Nature News, claim that by 2050 the impacts of our current diets could increase by nearly

90% due to population increase. By switching to a “flexitarian” diet by changing your intake to

include just small amounts of animal products, those participating in the study assert that the

increase of negative impacts could be halved (Springmann, et al. 2018). More and more research

seems to support the reevaluation of our dietary patterns, where cutting out meat and other

animal products could prove much more sustainable for society.

 3

Last but certainly not least, many Americans are choosing a meat-free diet simply to

improve their own health. In a 2018 poll published by Winsight Grocery Business, over 50% of

millennials in the United States that partake of a meat-free diet do so because of their concern for

their health (Acosta, 2018). While health benefits may vary from person to person, the general

idea is that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risks of certain health complications. A

2017 article in Medical News Today lists lower body weight, healthier cholesterol levels, and

decreased risk of cancer as three of the potential health benefits for a vegan or vegetarian diet

(Brazier, 2019). Numerous other benefits are reported in the media and spread through social

circles, motivating people of all age groups to switch their dietary patterns. Whether the

individuals want to reduce their consumption of chemicals and preservatives that come with

meat consumption or if they just wish to eat healthier fruits and vegetables, Americans are

making the decision to control what goes into their body every single day.

The idea of vegetarianism is nothing new for the United States, however it is something

that the younger generations seem to be considering more frequently. As society moves towards

a more free and progressive world, who knows what the diets of our great-grandchildren will

consist of?
 4

Works Cited

Akhtar, Aysha. “I Studied Factory Farms for Years. Visiting One Was Far Worse than I

Imagined.” Salon, Salon.com, 20 Apr. 2019,

https://www.salon.com/2019/04/20/i-studied-factory-farms-for-years-visiting-one-was-fa

r-worse-than-i-imagined/​.

Brazier, Yvette. “Vegetarian Diet: Benefits, Risks, and Tips.” Medical News Today,

MediLexicon International, 10 Mar. 2017,

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8749.php#benefits​.

Environmental Protection Agency. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions in The United States in 2017, by

Sector (in Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalents)." Statista, Statista Inc., 12

Feb 2019,

https://www-statista-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/statistics/521036/us-greenhouse-gas-emission

s-by-sector/

NOAA. "Average Annual Temperature in The U.S. from 1895 to 2018 (in Fahrenheit)." Statista,

Statista Inc., 20 Feb 2019,

https://www-statista-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/statistics/500472/annual-average-temperature

-in-the-us/

Reinhart, RJ. “Snapshot: Few Americans Vegetarian or Vegan.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 1 Aug.

2018,

https://news.gallup.com/poll/238328/snapshot-few-americans-vegetarian-vegan.aspx?g_s

ource=link_NEWSV9&g_medium=NEWSFEED&g_campaign=item_&g_content=Snap

shot:%20Few%20Americans%20Vegetarian%20or%20Vegan​.
 5

Springmann, Marco Leon, et al. “Options for Keeping the Food System within Environmental

Limits.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 10 Oct. 2018,

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0594-0​.

US Department of Agriculture, and Economic Research Service. "Number of Slaughtered Cattle

in The United States from 2000 to 2017 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Apr 2019,

https://www-statista-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/statistics/194357/total-cattle-slaughter-in-the-

us-since-2000/

US Department of Agriculture, and Economic Research Service. "Total Number of Hogs

Slaughtered in The U.S. from 2000 to 2017 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Apr

2019,

https://www-statista-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/statistics/194382/number-of-hogs-slaughtered

-in-the-us-since-2000/

Winsight Grocery Business. "Top Factors Influencing American Millennials' Decision to Adopt

a Meat-free Diet 2018." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Aug 2018,

https://www-statista-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/statistics/875564/millennials-alternative-meat

free-diets-reasons/