I have been a flexitarian for over a year, and for the past few months I have switched to lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. I became a flexitarian (aka vegetarian who consumes a bit of meat) because I wanted to try it out; it looked like a fun little discipline game. Also, being an immature little high schooler, how could I resist conformity with the other "emo" vegetarians?

I had planned it out very well. The only meat I would allow myself to eat was seafood, because it didn't require much land. Plus, I could maintain a balanced diet (unlike the other ignorant full-on vegetarians, as I naively thought). I also noticed that full-on vegetarians eat more. So I thought "That is so bad for the environment - image all the land it would take if everyone became a vegetarian!"

Later, I realized all the benefits of being a vegetarian. Ironically, I noticed the environmental benefits. It takes a lot of crops to feed animals - much more than required to feed a vegetarian. Having a mother who has a degree in economics, I knew the effects of supply and demand. That is, meat-eaters raise the demand for animals, thus raising the demand for grazing land, crops and water. In addition to that, crops also require land and water, plus fertilizers and, in some cases, pesticides. All in all, the meat industry requires a lot more than we realize.

This is when I stopped eating fish (Yes, it took me an entire year to figure this out!). Eating fish raises demand for fish. Currently, certain species are being over-fished; clearly, eating fish would not be an environmentally sound choice. In addition, eating fish is not all good for one's health. Fish, thanks to humans, absorb a lot of the toxins floating around in the sea. And though fish oils are highly praised for its health benefits, many of the same nutrients could be found in a full vegetarian diet.

Plus, negative effects of vegetarianism are mostly fallacies. Protein and calcium are abundant in plants. And generally, any diet has its downsides when not maintained properly. Vegetarianism will have negative effects if the vegetarian doesn't maintain a proper balance - just like how many people, vegetarian or not, have negative dietary effects when they don't get enough water, sodium, fat, etc...

Unfortunately, my grandmother, who is a health nut, does not fully approve of my decision. Finally, I emailed her, saying "Google 'vegetarian myths'. I bet a bunch of links would say that a vegetarian diet is good!" She replied with

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Are the philosophies of the vegetarian regime misguided?
We want to hear your view. Write now!