Vegetarianism has grown in popularity in the Western world for several reasons, including health, ethics, and environmental concerns. A 2002 poll found that the most common reasons Americans choose a vegetarian diet are health-related, such as not wanting to eat meat with chemicals or hormones. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of chronic diseases and lower medical costs. Vegetarians also typically have lower body mass indexes and cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian lifestyle can help reduce animal suffering and environmental impacts such as water usage and pollution.

1. Vegetarianism
So Fresh, So Green

2. Many Different Motivations
 In the Western world, the popularity of
vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a
result of nutritional, ethical, environmental and
economic reasons.
http://flickr.com/photos/chocolatemonster/84291444/

3. Most important reason for becoming a
vegetarian in the United States, 2002
Health 32%
Because of chemicals and hormones in meat 15%
products
Don't like the taste of meat 13%
Love of animals 11%
http://flickr.com/photos/cajie/2425523656/

4. Animal rights 10%
Religious reasons 6%
Concern for the 4%
planet
To lose weight 3%
To reduce hunger 1% /
and famine
worldwide
TIME/CNN POLL: Reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle
http://flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2222523486/

5. Health Benefits
quot;Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances
of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a
vegetarian diet.quot;
-Albert Einstein

6.  Consuming whole
grains, legumes,
nuts, fruits and
vegetables provides
protection against
chronic diseases such
as cancer,
cardiovascular
disease and diabetes
http://flickr.com/photos/jow/53534742/

7.  The total direct medical costs in the United
States attributable to meat consumption
have been estimated to be $30-60 billion a
year, based upon the higher prevalence of
hypertension, heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-
borne illness among omnivores compared
with vegetarians.
(Barnard ND, Nicholson A, and Howard JL. The medical costs attributable to meat
consumption. Prev Med 1995;24:646-55.)

8.  Vegetarians are at a
lesser risk for obesity
 Western vegetarians
have lower BMI (body
mass index) and lower
cholesterol levels than
non-vegetarians
/
Photo by Mike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeakymarmot/136634791/sizes/l/in/photostream

9.  Eating more fruits and vegetables puts you
at a lower risk for a plethora of chronic
diseases, including some types of cancers,
hypertension, stroke and Type II Diabetes
http://flickr.com/photos/rooona/2852368759/

10. Moral, Human Condition
By reducing the amount of meat you
consume, you will decrease the number of
animals slaughtered.
How many animals do you eat in a given
year?
http://flickr.com/photos/aasgier/489526907/
The time will come when men such as I will look upon
the murder of animals
as they now look on the murder of men.”
-Leonardo Da Vinci

11. By reducing the amount of meat you
consume, you will reduce animal
suffering.
quot;The question is not, Can they
reason? nor, Can they talk?
but, Can they suffer?quot;
-Jeremy Bentham,
philosopher
http://flickr.com/photos/hthg1983/1519121063/

12. quot;The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated.quot;
-Mahatma Gandhi
“If slaughterhouses had
glass walls, everyone
would be a vegetarian.”
-Paul McCartney
http://www.flickr.com/photos/igualdadanimal/2637067736/sizes/l/

13. Environmental
quot;We did not weave the
web of life; we are
merely a strand in
it. Whatever we do to the
web,
we do to ourselves.
All things connect.”
Chief Seattle
Photo by poonomo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ickypoo/764486170/sizes/o/

14. By not eating beef– and other farm
animals as well–you:
 Save massive amounts of
water – about 3,000 to
5,000 gallons of water per
pound avoided
 Avoid polluting our streams
and rivers and destroying
topsoil
 Avoid destroying tropical
forests
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shikasta/3454543/sizes/l/

15.  Avoid carbon dioxide production (The average car
produces 3 kg/day of CO2. To clear rainforest to
produce beef for one hamburger produces 75 kg of
CO2. Eating one pound of hamburger does the
same damage as driving a car for more than three
weeks.)
 Reduce the amount of methane gas produced
 Reduce the destruction of wildlife habitat
 Help to save endangered species
Steve Boyan PhD, recently retired from his post as a political science professor at University of Maryland
http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm

16. The End!
 quot;I am not a
vegetarian
because I love
animals; I am a
vegetarian
because I hate
plants.quot;
— A. Whitney
Brown http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickster2000/1319008847/sizes/l/