In today’s world, issues with health and fitness are becoming an ever-growing concern. Several diseases such as ailments of the heart, obesity, and a vast array of different cancers are responsible for a large number of modern health concerns. Many of these health problems can stem from choices an individual makes within his or her diet. Consequently, many people are carefully watching what they eat and trying to find out how to prevent said diseases. Some try to solve these problems by changing their diets in different ways, one of which is vegetarianism.
Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating any meat, though many vegetarians still eat animal products such as milk and cheese. When properly employed, it does have definite health benefits and can help people to avoid these diseases.
Diseases caused by dietary problems take large tolls each year. Vegetarianism can decrease the risks of these significantly. A study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that with 597,689 deaths coming from heart disease in 2010 in America; it was the second most common cause of death behind natural causes. Cancer is third on the list.
Heart disease is often a direct effect of fatty diets because of the clogging of the arteries, and colon cancer can often be linked to high amounts of animal fat in patients. Vegetarian food has much less fat and cholesterol than many meats and foods commonly consumed by non-vegetarians, lowering the risk of heart disease. Not consuming meats makes dairy and eggs the only animal fat that vegetarians consume, significantly reducing the potential for colon cancer. Less fat in a vegetarian’s diet also lessens the potential for obesity. However, simply refusing to consume meat is not all it takes to fight diseases such as this. Being a vegetarian also means being disciplined and eating healthy vegetarian foods. When discipline is maintained, vegetarianism can be a way to significantly defend one’s self against diseases.
Though most people at Ridge aren’t vegetarian, they do recognize certain aspects of vegetarianism. Patrick Clarke ’15 states, “While being vegetarian seems to have a strong correlation with being healthy, I think it is more likely that vegetarians are just more aware of their health and nutrition. Being vegetarian has no guaranteed health benefits. There are plenty of unhealthy vegetarians. The benefits come through the choice to eat healthy.
He emphasized that with any type of diet comes the need to be disciplined. Differing opinions exist on the subject of vegetarianism. Is it the actual vegetarian diet that ensures good health, or is it just the fact that vegetarian people are health-conscious?
Ultimately, vegetarianism is not the answer to all of your health problems. Nevertheless, being a disciplined vegetarian can greatly decrease risks of health problems in people. In the end, when push comes to shove, the key to being healthy is regulating and maintaining a balanced diet.