Until a few years back vegetarianism was not a very popular idea in most parts of the world. It was almost impossible for people to believe that a non-meat diet can also earn the status of a healthy diet. It took a few years for most dietary and medical experts to establish that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat. Tracing history, the earliest records of vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant number of people can be found in ancient India and the ancient Greek civilisation in Southern Italy and in Greece in the 6th century BC. In both instances, diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa in India) and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers. The etymology of vegetarianism is as fascinating as the concept itself. The Vegetarian Society, founded in 1847, ‘claims to have created the word vegetarian from the Latin ‘vegetus’ meaning ‘lively’ (which is how these early vegetarians claimed their diet made them feel)..’Today, Indian vegetarians, primarily lacto-vegetarians, are estimated to make up more than 70% of the world's vegetarians. They make up 20–42% of the population in India, while less than 30% are regular meat-eaters. In the western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, environmental and economic concerns. According to a Time poll, some 10 million Americans today consider themselves to be practicing vegetarians and an additional 20 million have flirted with the idea of being a vegetarian at some point in their lives. The shift is even more evident in the younger generations where for the first time in history kids are shocking their parents. They are actually eating their fruits and vegetables!
The reasons for this sudden interest in vegetarianism continue to be interesting. A teen with an eating disorder may drastically reduce calories or cut out all fat or carbohydrates and call it ‘vegetarianism’ because it is considered socially acceptable and healthy. Many kids raised on films and cartoons that show animals recoil from eating their movie heroes and switch to what the meat defeaters call a ‘non-violent diet’. Information about the additives and ailments connected with the consumption of meat, a dish of hormones, E. Coli bacteria and the various diseased all serve as efficacious appetite suppressants.
Various ethical reasons have also been suggested in support of vegetarianism. It has been argued, for example, that the production, slaughtering and consumption of meat or animal products is unethical. Reasons for this include a belief in animal rights, an aversion to inflicting pain or harm on other sentient beings, or a belief that the unnecessary killing of other animals is inherently wrong. It has also been argued that although production and consumption of meat may be acceptable on its own terms, the methods by which animals are reared in the commercial industry are unethical.
Concern for the environment also finds vegetarianism as a relieving solution. The advance of global warming is one of these key issues in environmental vegetarians. According to a study done by the University of Chicago and reprinted in Time magazine, switching from a meat-eating diet to vegetarianism reduces one carbon footprint by 1.4 times the amount of switching from a Toyota Camry to a Hybrid car.
Lastly, vegetarianism finds itself an important place in most religious philosophies. Hinduism and Jainism teach vegetarianism as moral conduct whilst Christianity and Islam generally do not. Buddhism in general does not prohibit meat eating, while Mahayana Buddhism encourages vegetarianism as beneficial for developing compassion. Other denominations that advocate a fully vegetarian diet include the Seventh-day Adventists, the Rastafari movement and the Hare Krishnas.
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are immense. For example, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. Vegetarianism is believed to reduce E. coli infections, and proponents point to the link between E.Coli contaminations in food and industrial scale meat and dairy farms. The American Dietetic Association and the dietitians of have found a properly-planned vegetarian diet to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to significantly lower risks of cancer, ischemic heart disease, and other fatal diseases.
Vegetarianism as a practice has been successful in finding numerous followers since recently. Given the options to choose from i.e. religious/moral/ethical/environmentl/economical/cultural/psychological etc, it is hopeful that the numbers will keep rising.
