I may get flack for this... I know a lot more overweight vegetarians and vegans then I know carnivores. This is ONLY my experience though.

I think you have been a little naive in your proposition that feeding animals less grain can stop world hunger. Since the green revolution in the '60s the world as a whole has been producing enough food to feed everyone. It's a lack of access to food not a lack of food that causes hunger and malnutrition.

i've got nothing against vegetarians--they're usually rocking people who are also great cooks. i do have a problem with PETA's propagandization of what simply amounts to a lifestyle choice. surely there are better resources out there for people interested in exploring the vegetarian lifestyle further.

1. i agree with miss matilda
2. i ate a huge steak last night. it was rare, and i still have the same BMI as Natalie Portman. i have no iron deficiencies, have a wonderful bill of health, and i can't stand tofu and refuse to be force fed that stuff as the result of someone else's moral convictions
3. PETA is annoying and harassing
4. save a cow, eat a vegan...or, eat Natalie Portman.
5. i love animals too. lions would eat me too if they would have teh chance.

As a vegetarian, I'm happy to see people promoting veg'nism in a sensible way (as opposed to the in-your-face angry veg'n activists that we're all to familiar with). As a comment to vsakakeeny-- world hunger is a problem, and in areas of the world where people are living in great poverty, US companies (McDonald's for example) are buying up the land, deforesting it to graze cattle there. It's quite a waste of resources when you're talking about a poor, underdeveloped country. Also, this is a waste of environmental resources as meat production takes up more land, creates more waste, pollutes the air/land and water, much more than raising plant-based foods, which are better for the environment and feed more people per acre.

I might be pro-veg, but I'm also a scientist- The "20 pounds lighter" data was taken from a PETA website, which is biased towards vegetarianism. The doctor who claims this on goveg.com does not use a source for reference. I'd be quicker to believe that fact if the information was cited from a NON-biased source. We have no idea where she got that info, she might have made it up for all we know.

And another thing she mentions that I wonder about- she says that overweight people eat about the same amont of calories, just different types, and alludes that the type of calorie is more important for weight loss than the amount of calories. I thought a calorie was a calorie wa a calorie....

Of course, this isn't cited to a scientific journal either, but this might explain the 20 pound difference (if it is true): according to http://weightloss.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa092903a.htm, research has shown people following a typical vegetarian diet consume, on average, around 500 fewer calories daily than their meat-eating counterparts. Interestingly, the research showed that they actually ate more food than non-vegetarians.

I think being a vegetarian is a good idea (I feel terrible when I think about the sad cows and mistreated chickens), but I don't feel like I've actually had a meal unless there's meat in there! No meat = snack to me...

"Did you know that for every one vegetarian more than 100 animals each are saved from suffering."

This sounds like a quote from PETA. I don't think all animals that are eaten are suffering.

Animals are tasty and people (and geckos and birds and snakes and tigers...) are carnivores.

Ditto on what Miss Matidla says. I had this image in my head of vegetarians subsisting on salads and was surprised to discover this, but a friend set me straight when she said "You know there's no meat in french fries and beer, right?"

It's important to eat more fruits and veggies, but I don't think that cutting out meat will make you healthier. Vegans and some vegetarians have to take supplements because their meals aren't necessarily balanced.

i dont even tell people i am veg because i want to avoid the eye rolls and the "yummy bloody steak" comments. for me, it is more about the awful treatment of farm animals than anything else. i used to eat just chicken anyway, so it wasnt hard for me to make the change and i feel great.

I am a triathlete and have competed in four ironman races. I could not possibly train and compete at the level I do on a vegetarian diet. I wouldn't be getting enough fat, protein and tons of other vitamins and nutrients not to mention calories that I need. None of the people I train with are vegetarians. Be careful of what "studies" you decide to believe. Data can be skewed to prove whichever side of the argument you want it to. I believe that most of the population could well do to cut back on their meat and animal product intake but whenever you make sweeping generalizations someone will always have an exception. Lovekailua, I don't care what you eat, and why on earth do carnivores think it will make a vegetarian see their side by bring up "yummy bloody steak"! Isn't the "bloody" part one of the reasons you don't eat meat! Duh.

haha i don't understand it either. i never liked red meat so it was easy decision for me. i definitely respect everyone's individual choices!

Please don't go to Peta for veg sources, or atleast go to many different sources and forums to find information.

It's true that a lot of animals are carnivores - that's NOT the issue here. People mass produce animals in horrible condition, mistreating and then killing them. They don't have a chance like gazelles do running from Lions. Factory farm animals have no freedom - they are fattened up for us - that is their life, and in my opinion, that's not right.

That's why it's important to buy from smaller farms, where the beef or chicken comes from free-range animals. They are treated much better than huge factory farms.

It's good that you are supporting such things as Meatless Monday. We should all be conscious of how much meat we intake, but I agree that PETA is not a source for information to cite for this. I recently finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan which actually deals a lot with the food industry in the US and questions about vegetarianism and diets.

I'm a vegetarian. It's really lots of fun.

I'm a vegetarian too, have been since I was twelve (almost 27 now,yikes!) and I love it! I had a cow for a pet and he changed my life. I don't feel that it's healthy for anyone to eat factory farm raised animals, how could ingesting something that has adrenaline racing through it's body 24/7, be good for humans to eat?? I would never tell anyone to stop eating meat, just be more aware of where it actually comes from, in every way. And I don't tell people to become vegetarians, so why do some people tell me "to just eat it"? so weird.

I am a pescatarian- I just eat fish, no other li'l critters. I have read that a large portion of our air pollution is due to the literal gasses from livestock. Just another little tidbit

But, I do respect everyone's individual choice, and I am not a huge fan of PETA myself- don't get me wrong. And, unless you're vegan, there's no meat in cheese, ice cream, chocolate, butter, etc. and those are still part of the veggie's diet. In fact, vegetarians tend to supplement their meat protein with cheese and peanut butter- which is still pretty bad for cholestrol and weight.

Well I tried to be a vegetarian and yes it could be delicious but I found myself tired all the time. I slept a lot too cause I couldn't wake up. I tried to eat healthy but in the end meat suits me

I was vegan for a year to see if I could follow a really strict diet. All the vegans I know, and that's a lot, are quite overweight because most of them eat lots of pasta and potatoes. I eat meat just a few days a week, and cheese and everything else, and I lost weight compared to when I was vegetarian. Now I'm 100 pounds instead of 115.

Wow! There's a lot of animosity here toward us veg girls/guys! Anyone can be overweight, whether you eat meat, dairy and eggs, or you don't. The veg lifestyle is about more than calories and weight control -- for many it's a sincere decision to respect animals differently than our society does. If you ask any lifelong vegan, I'll bet they'll tell you they aren't in it for weight control.

I'm a Vegetarian and I've never been healthier or happier in my life. It just makes me feel better knowing that no animals were harmed in my meals. I don't need to eat meat, so why would I? I hate when people harrass me about it. I don't harrass people for eating meat, so they shouldn't harrass me for not eating it.

"You smell like a baby prostitute."

i personally tried to become a vegitarian after reading the book "Skinny b*tch" and saw the inhuman treatment of animals. At college, it's really tough. Most of the meals come with meat and if they don't they aren't filled with enough protien to make me last through out the day. I lasted a week, becuase on Super Bowl Sunday i accidentally ate Buffalo Wings :-/ woops.

Becoming a vegetarian is such a great idea. I first started because I have high cholesterol, and I've felt healthier ever since. I do occasionally eat some seafood though.
It's also great for the environment!

YAY NATILIE PORTMAN TOO??
AWESOME!!!
I've only been Veg for about a month, but I think it is the best decision I have ever made.
My family doesn't know yet..except my dad, so I better tell my mom soon before she makes me a big steak dinner like she usually does when I come home from college.

Good for you Belle yun! It could be the best decision you've ever made! My family has a history of heart disease, weight problems and cancer, and it's one of the reasons I will stick to a vegetarian diet and raise my kids vegetarian. The reason I became vegetarian in the first place is because I was raised in rural Ontario, Canada, and I saw first hand what a terrible life the animals on the farms had to lead. My high-school was also right beside a slaughterhouse and you could literally hear the animals screaming as their throats were cut. I've been vegetarian for 14 1/2 years (since I was 13) and have never tested low for any vitamins or minerals. If you do it right lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and alternative protien sources like tofu, then it really can be a very healthy lifestyle. Natalie is healthy and gorgeous, good for her for choosing a veggie lifestyle.

Lovekailua you took the words right out of my mouth!

i like to hear that!

I'm so glad to hear all your different points of view being voiced.

The thing about Natalie is that she is a vegetarian because of her love of animals. I think it's great that she is so passionate about something and follows through with it.

In reference to what I said about vegetarians being on average up to 20 lbs lighter than meat-eaters, I got the info off GoVeg.com (not from PETA). It said "It’s possible to be an overweight or obese vegan, of course, just as it’s possible to be a thin meat-eater, but adult vegans are, on average, 10 to 20 pounds lighter than adult meat-eaters."

I do agree that caloric intake is huge when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. I'm not saying being vegetarian is going to make you lose weight, but the healthy vegetarians I know eat tons of fresh fruits and veggies, which everyone can benefit from.

As far as the connection between vegetarianism and world hunger, check out this info from meatout.org.

• "...converting plant-based foods into animal-based foods is an extremely inefficient process. For instance, it takes 12 pounds of wheat to produce just one hamburger. Twelve loaves of bread could be produced from the same amount of wheat."

• "A meat-based diet requires 10-20 times as much land as a plant-based diet. Nearly half of the world's grains and soybeans are fed to animals, resulting in a tremendous waste of food calories. The extent of waste is such that even a 10% drop in US meat consumption would free up enough grains to feed the world's starving millions."

I do agree with vsakakeeny that world hunger is also about not having the means to distribute the food we do have - people just don't have access to it.

All of this is just really interesting to think about. Don't think I'm telling you all to become vegetarian, it's just my job keep you guys informed about all your options. Your diet is your personal choice, so you should do what's comfortable and right for you.

I love meat. I mean what's better than a nice juicy burger. Oh wait, a cheese steak... no wait an italian sausage outside fenway park! Peppers onions, .....drool...

I digress...

Anywho... I do love meat & would never think of becoming a vegetarian, but I do support local meat. Free range meat. & Ethical treatment of animals, so whenever I do buy meat, if it's available I go for the (although a bit pricier) local "better" options.

My girlfriend refuses to buy/cook/ or handle meat... but I say, to each their own, & I think she sees the value in that, because now she doens't look nearly as disgusted when I pick my BBQ covered face up out of the huge rack of ribs I'm eating & try to kiss her.

It's a choice, regardless of the animal cruelty concerns, or whatever people want to make their reason for being veg... it's all a personal choice. You gotta respect that & even if you DO eat meat you can still do your part in being not so destructive when doing it. Go Local. Go free range...etc... every little bit helps. Screw anyone who needs to get angry about all this. Do what you want, just know the implications, be respectful of them, & those around you.

ah! I used to love fenway franks many moons ago

I'm starting to read Peter Singer's - In Defense of Animals. It is about factory farming and our treatment of animals if anyone is interested!

I am a convinced carnivore, though... sorry.

Humans are omnivores, not carnivores...

Kevin - i agree - be respectful of people's individual choices and don't criticize others for being different.

The book FAST FOOD NATION changed my mind for good!

go to peta2.org for a list of celebrity vegetarians. and believe me, it's all the beautiful people. i've been vegetarian for quite some time now and the health benefits are amazing. as well as you just feel better about yourself in general. i shudder at the thought of eating flesh and blood.

the peta ads may be annoying but it's better to be in your face about it, than not informed at all.
i'm amazed at how closed minded some people can be. you like your meat...great. but exploring more options and information doesn't hurt

FYI: goveg.com is put together by PETA, so if you got the info off of goveg.com then you got the info from PETA. Goveg.com is not a separate entity from PETA and PETA is not known for its unbiased reports...

I'm vegan and proud of it. Why slaughter a poor defenseless animal when you can have awesome vegan food that is healthier for you anyway? I lost fifteen pounds when I first went vegan and I still haven't gained it back and I eat cookies, ice cream, vegan hot wings, everything! I love being vegan and I'm happy fitsugar is talking about it. Go veg!

I never felt better than when I was vegan. The only reason I stopped was how other people reacted to it. (Lame, I know, but it grated on me.) I was able to run a half marathon absolutely fine on a vegan diet. You just have to think about what you're eating and make sure you eat all the vitamins you need. There isn't any need to eat animal products to stay healthy.
It was the environmental aspect that really got to me. The factory farming industry is the number one source of water contamination in the US. I couldn't continue to eat meat knowing what I was buying into.
There are so many different factors to vegetarianism and veganism; the environment, resource efficiency, and moral reasons are just some of them.
Just be informed about what your impact is.

I'm vegan. I love animals and the idea of them suffering for my meal pushed me to drop meat eating. It's true that you will likely lose weight on a vegetarian diet unless you had a problem with food before you "converted". I lost about 22 lbs in a year. Vegetarians who eat a diet high in fiber and protein would fill you up rather quickly. On the other hand if you've got a tendency to overeat, you'll maintain your weight or gain whether vegetarian or not.
Also, to address the carnivore bit. Humans are omnivores and not carnivores. That means that they can survive eating meat and/or plant life. Sure we need protein, but you can get that from nuts, whole grains, and tofu (which isn't bad if you know how to cook!)
I think diet is always a personal choice. PETA is way too pushy with its agenda. Humans like other animals have the absolute right to choose meat or not.

I'm vegan. I love animals and the idea of them suffering for my meal pushed me to drop meat eating. It's true that you will likely lose weight on a vegetarian diet unless you had a problem with food before you "converted". I lost about 22 lbs in a year. Vegetarians who eat a diet high in fiber and protein would fill you up rather quickly. On the other hand if you've got a tendency to overeat, you'll maintain your weight or gain whether vegetarian or not.
Also, to address the carnivore bit. Humans are omnivores and not carnivores. That means that they can survive eating meat and/or plant life. Sure we need protein, but you can get that from nuts, whole grains, and tofu (which isn't bad if you know how to cook!)
I think diet is always a personal choice. PETA is way too pushy with its agenda. Humans like other animals have the absolute right to choose meat or not.

I'm vegan. I love animals and the idea of them suffering for my meal pushed me to drop meat eating. It's true that you will likely lose weight on a vegetarian diet unless you had a problem with food before you "converted". I lost about 22 lbs in a year. Vegetarians who eat a diet high in fiber and protein would fill you up rather quickly. On the other hand if you've got a tendency to overeat, you'll maintain your weight or gain whether vegetarian or not.
Also, to address the carnivore bit. Humans are omnivores and not carnivores. That means that they can survive eating meat and/or plant life. Sure we need protein, but you can get that from nuts, whole grains, and tofu (which isn't bad if you know how to cook!)
I think diet is always a personal choice. PETA is way too pushy with its agenda. Humans like other animals have the absolute right to choose meat or not.

To vsakakeeny:

The less animals bred for consumption -> the less demand for grain -> the lower the price of grain will be.

"Lack of access to food" = can't afford it!

It may very well be naive to think that this could "solve world hunger" (there are a lot of other obstacles in the way...wars, intentional manipulation of the food supplies of certain ethnic groups, etc.), but you can't deny that it could help.

Humans are herbivores, not omnivores or carnivores. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1305/960483101_33a027fa60.jpg?v=0

"That's why it's important to buy from smaller farms, where the beef or chicken comes from free-range animals. They are treated much better than huge factory farms."- said from someone above....

Just because the package says free-range does not mean the animals are treated any better. The majority of the time the animals are still inside in a crowded place and are treated inhumanly by the farmers.

I am a vegan, i love it, the food i eat and the lifestyle i live!

I'm sold and as my name implies, my main source of protein is from beans-thats right-lentils, black, black eyed peas, pinto, ect. Because of the incidence of hypothyroid in my family (on mother's and father's side) I cannot have soy.... Beans are great as they have fiber and protein-and I love hummus