By: Hans Wu

When you go to a fancy restaurant, there are many delicious dishes. Would you rather have juicy steak or fresh vegetable salad? Well, I would choose the steak, and that makes my mouth water. However, some people will certainly disagree with me. Some people strongly oppose eating meat. They want to prevent animals from being eaten by humans and stop global warming. This controversial topic is much debated among all. In the following essay, I will talk about both views and why I generally disagree with them.

From one point of view, if we look at the nature around us it’s not just people eating meat. Wild predators also hunt for food. From the beginning of human existence, humans hunted animals to survive. Therefore, to say that eating meat is unfair is an overly strong statement because our ancestors were omnivores and we certainly still are.

Different creatures have body parts that are specifically made for different uses. For example, herbivores have flat teeth and long guts to eat and digest plants, while carnivores have strong jaws, and long, sharp teeth that help them grab and rip apart their prey. From an evolutionary standpoint, our body is designed for eating plants as well as meat. Animal protein is important to early human evolution. Eating meat benefits our bone health and muscle mass, it can even help our brains become larger. In addition, most vegans will have iron deficiency, and they will lack zinc, cholesterol, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-12. This can cause headaches, dizziness, slow wound healing, and a risk of getting diseases.[1]

Many people think we shouldn’t eat meat because of the way we treat animals which are bred for food. Humans usually use factory farms to raise animals. Animals aren’t taken outside in most factory farms, and they live in cages their whole life. Animals that live in factory farms are fed things they are not supposed to eat. For example, cows are fed corn when their body is built for eating grass.[2] Considering this point, what we need to change is the way we treat animals and the environment we provide for them instead of becoming vegan.

Some believe that converting forests to livestock will cause massive deforestation and is a direct way of accelerating climate change. Conversely, if the whole world becomes vegan, we will also need land for farming. It may not have as much land as we need for livestock, but perhaps the same problem will arise after a while.

Raising animals causes global warming as well. There are other causes of global warming. For example, cars pollute the environment with gasoline, but we haven’t stopped driving. Instead, we invented electric cars to reduce vehicle pollution. You can do the same with your meat diet by eating less meat.

In conclusion, according to what I have shared above, I believe there is no need for people to stop eating meat. Instead, we can find alternative ways to solve the problems that are constantly brought up by vegans. For example, we can improve the welfare of farm animals, reduce the frequency and amount of meat consumed, balance our diet and not waste any food. Even though I believe eating meat is perfectly fine, not everyone makes the same choices about food, so we shouldn’t judge others based on the food they choose to eat or not and we should respect everyone’s choices.

References:

[1] Jacob, Aglaee. “The Disadvantages of a Diet with Little Meat.” Healthy Eating | SF Gate, 27 Dec. 2018,

[2]“A Difficult Reality to Digest: The Effects of a Corn-Based Diet on the Digestive System of Cattle.” Lake Forest College, https://www.lakeforest.edu/news/a-difficult-reality-to-digest-the-effects-of-a-corn-based-diet-on-the-digestive-system-of-cattle.