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Culture Essay: Vegetarians

Molly Hough
University of Kentucky

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Culture Essay: Vegetarians

Did you know that switching to an all-vegetarian diet does not always result in
weight loss? Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in calories and higher in fiber, making
you feel full on fewer calories. But vegetarian foods can be high in calories and fat. For
example, if one cut out meat but replace it with lots of cheese and nuts, he or she could
end up consuming the same number of calories (or even more). (Zelman WebMD) Now
Im not saying that all vegetarians end up gaining or remaining the same weight, but it
would surprise some that people dont always cut a few pounds when you switch diets.

Being a vegetarian can mean a lot of things. For one, a person could be a
vegetarian because the thought of killing an animal to eat it makes them sick to the
stomach. On the other hand one could cut meat out of their diet because they have too
much iron in their system. People cannot categorize all vegetarians in one category
because they are all different. Putting all their differences aside, they all have one thing in
common . . . they dont eat meat. Most social norms of a vegetarians are super obvious,
asking for no meat in the pasta while ordering at a restaurant, getting a veggie burger
over a hamburger, and picking out meat, and only shopping at organic supermarkets are
just a few.
The first type of vegetarians is called a Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Lacto-ovovegetarians eat both dairy and eggs; this is the most common vegetarian that people hear
about. Vegetarians that fall in this type are usually fine when they go out to

eat;

there is something on the menu that they are able to eat. Because so many of today's

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prepared foods and assorted consumer goods contain some combination of milk, dairy, or
both followers of lacto-ovo vegetarianism have access to a wider range of mainstream
and easily accessible products than their vegan counterparts. (Leigh) Some of the most
common foods include: fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and soy. The only type of
food from animals that they eat would be milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, or foods with
the same ingredients. (Leigh)
The second type of vegetarians is Lacto-vegetarians. Lacto-vegetarians eat
dairy but avoid eggs. The term lacto-vegetarian comes from the Latin word lactis,
meaning milk. In the past, most of these types of vegetarians have been apart of religions
that are widespread in the Far East, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. All of
those religions believe in nonviolence towards animals. Food that is apart of a lactovegetarian diet includes: citrus fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, wheat products, oats, and
corn. (Schuna)

The third and final type of vegetarians is the vegan. Vegans do not eat any dairy,
eggs, or any other products produced from animals. Vegans embrace a dietary plan that
consists of 100 percent plant-based fare with no animal-derived products. (Leigh) That
means they do not eat any type of meat or dairy. Typical vegan foods consist of peas,
garbanzos, nuts and seeds. Vegans not only avoid eating animals, but wearing them also.
Vegans avoid wearing or otherwise using animal-derived products for clothing or
personal reasons. In other words, silk, wool, leather and bird feathers are out of the
question. (Leigh)

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When I think of a vegetarian I think of a petite PETA supporter woman,
I rarely think of any men being one. Another stereotype of a vegetarian is being a
vegetarian preacher, making all of their friends a vegetarian, and bringing it up to any one
they talk to. Most dont talk about being a vegetarian unless someone asks about it. When
people think of vegetarians, typically they only think of women, but women are not the
only ones. A lot of men live the vegetarian lifestyle, a lot more than one would think
actually. Even though a lot of vegetarians do support PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals), a lot also dont support it. A good chunk of vegetarians live the
lifestyle they do because they had to change their diet due to health (i.e. iron too high).

One of the first well-known vegetarians is the Greek philosopher, Pythagoras,

who created the Pythagorean theorem. It has been said that his breakfast would consist of
honey while his dinner would consist of bread and vegetables, sometimes even fish. In
todays terms we would call that a pescatarian. Followers of Pythagoras adopted his
dietary restrictions, believing that they were helpful in aiding longevity.

Another famous vegetarian is Benjamin Franklin. He was inspired to be a

vegetarian because of Thomas Tryons The Way to Health and Long Life. He turned to
mainly bread and water that he claims made him stout and hearty. Jefferson found that
the vegetarian diet had its economic advantages.
The term Pythagorean was replaced with the word vegetarian on September 29,
1867. It was replaced in Ramsgate, England where the first ever vegetarian society was
created. William Metcalfe, Sylvester Graham, William Alcott and Russell Trall created a
similar group called the American Vegetarian Society in 1850 in New York City, New

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York. This new group was popular among feminists and members of the Bible Christian
Church. One of the founders, William B. Anthony, created an American branch of the
Bible Christian Church when he moved to America from England. This was the very first
vegetarian church in America. (PBS)

One of my interviewees, Josie Dwyer, emphasized a lot on purchasing and

searching for food for being a vegetarian. She mentioned when you go to a restaurant and
order something that contains meat, you still get charged for the meat. Or when you go
out to dinner and you cannot find anything on the menu that you can eat. Her favorite
vegetarian substitutes are veggie burgers, chicken patties, and meatballs. She doesnt ever
have thoughts on going back to being a non-vegetarian. She said in the beginning it was
hard, but now it has been five years and she doesnt even realize it anymore. The best
part of being a vegetarian for her is that she now lives a healthier lifestyle than she did
before. J. Dwyer (Personal communication, 10/7/14)

My second interview was with Kelsey Johnson who is a vegan. Kelsey became a
vegan 2 years ago at the age of 16. During that year she grew a love for animals and a
hatred for animal cruelty. She does not eat anything that has come from an animal.
Johnson emphasized on how her main food group is veggies. Last year, at her old high
school she created her own vegan club. The club has grown since she has graduated, and
now has 15 members. During meetings they would discuss vegan recipes and events that
they could run to donate money to PETA. They also would hold information sessions for
people who would want to learn more about vegetarians or vegans. (Personal
communication, 10/18/14)

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Buddhism and vegetarianism is a controversial topic. Although Buddhism does
not promote the killing of animals it is still speciesist because Buddhism appears to
regard human beings as having greater moral worth than other animals. (jou) It is known
that devoted Buddhist disapproves the killing of animals, but it is not set in stone that you
cannot eat animals.

Some Christians believe that their religion should all be vegetarians. Their
reasoning behind that is, the Garden of Eden, was vegetarian. In Genesis 1:29-30 it says,
29 Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the
beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the
groundeverything that has the breath of life in itI give every green plant for food.
And it was so. I think that what Christians take from this is God made everything living
to live together in peace, therefore not to killand then eat the animals. (Blessed the
Merciful Go Vegetarian)

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Since water is not scarce in America, we dont often think about everyone else in the
world not having water like we do. As of now water affects 2.7 billion people, which is
about 40% of the world. Based on a research study the International Water Management
Institute performed, producing one kilogram of beef uses 77 times as much water as
producing one kilogram of potatoes does. (Sterbenz, 2013)

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Sources:
Avey, T. (2014, January 28). From Pythagorean to Pescatarian The Evolution of
Vegetarianism. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
Dear, J. (n.d.). Why Should Christians be Vegetarians? Retrieved October 28, 2014.
Go Vegetarian. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LDWebMD Feature. (n.d.). Get the Facts about
Vegetarian Diets. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
Leigh, E. (n.d.). Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Vs. Vegan. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
Lubin, Christina. "7 Charts That Could Convince You To Become A Vegetarian."
Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-to-go-vegetarian-in-charts-201310>.Schuna, C. (n.d.). Lacto Vegetarian Foods. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
Stewart, J. (2010). Journal of Buddhist Ethics. The Question of Vegetarianism and Diet in
Pli Buddhism, 17, 101-137.
http://www.jesusveg.com/index2.html

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9
Abstract

My essay is about vegetarians. It goes into depth about social norms,

characteristics, what their diet consists of and vegetarians and their religion. The two girls
I interviewed go to school here at UK. They are both vegetarians for different reasons and
I go in depth more with them about why they are vegetarians and their lifestyle with it.
There is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to vegetarians.