Hunt 1

Robert Hunt

Joyce Barnes

ENG 1201-503

22 November 2019

A Worthwhile Change

Anthony gradually reclined in the uncomfortable chair in his hospital room, utterly

shocked by what was happening. His heartbroken spouse was seated in another chair

right next to him, sobbing softly while grasping Anthony’s hand. It was clear that

Anthony was about to die. The year was 1989, and he had just been told that he had

kidney failure, stage five kidney failure specifically, which was the final stage. Anthony

was merely fifty-five years old at the time, and he was in complete denial over what he

had just heard. The doctor had told him this stage of kidney disease was irreversible

and that he should get his affairs in order. Both of Anthony’s kidneys were now

operating below fifteen percent of what they would have been at full strength, and he

was projected to live only a few more weeks at best. Anthony had previously fought

issues with his health for many years. Before even reaching the age of thirty-five, he

had developed Type 2 Diabetes. Within a few years of that diagnosis, he was told he

had distressingly high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and he also had to take almost

ten daily medicines for his various ailments. Just after Anthony reached the age of fifty

years old, he started having the kidney problems that were now coming back to haunt

him, which forced him to get dialysis at a local clinic once per week. Anthony sat in his

chair staring blankly at the ceiling, reflecting on all the health-related things he had

experienced and trying to figure out how he had reached a state of such poor health.
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After thinking it through, his first instinct told him that his dietary choices could perhaps

be the main cause. Anthony and his wife had been brought up in the south, eating

cultural staple foods like potatoes with butter, country-fried steak, and deep-fried

chicken. On the occasions when they decided to cook, their meals consisted nearly

entirely of those foods. And on the nights they did not feel like cooking, they usually

indulged in popular fast food like McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Anthony recalled a

discussion he had three years ago with his old roommate from college, Mike, who had

always prioritized healthy diet, exercise, and protecting the environment in his own life.

Anthony was over two years younger than Mike was, but Mike was substantially

healthier and able to be much more active. Mike had previously told Anthony of

individual accounts written about in various publications on health where people had

healed from major health complications like heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure,

and diabetes by changing their dietary habits to avoid consuming any animal products.

Anthony did feel a little cynical about what Mike had told him, but he was also very

disheartened by his health outlook and motivated to do something about it. He did not

want to simply give up, and there was nothing to lose in any case, so Anthony made the

decision to switch to veganism. In only a few weeks, Anthony’s health became so much

better that his doctors allowed him to return home from the hospital. A few months after

that, Anthony did not need dialysis anymore. Within a six-month timeframe, Anthony’s

blood pressure numbers had lowered to a normal range, as had his cholesterol, and his

diabetes had all but disappeared. Anthony, who is the grandpa of one of my close

friends, will soon reach the age of eighty-five, and he is very healthy and able to live an

active lifestyle. He has no need for any prescriptions, and he is adamant that he feels
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healthier currently than he did when he was young. Anthony’s story may feel

embellished or even unbelievable to some, but it and other stories like it have really

happened. His experience exemplifies one of the benefits of the vegan diet, which

provides the human body with the necessary nutrients to restore and defend itself via

the intake of naturally-occurring foods it has evolved to ingest over millennia. The vegan

diet has additional positive impacts that provide compelling evidence for making the

switch as well. People should shift from regularly consuming animal products to a vegan

diet, and governments should do what they can to help facilitate this change, because it

will make people physically healthier, protect the environment, and provide financial

benefits for world economies. First, as described in the introduction, veganism promotes

human health by fueling the immune system with proper nutrients and avoiding the

ingestion of inhibitors to healing. Second, it preserves the environment by reducing the

amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere and limiting the overuse of

resources. Third, it supports world economies by improving the efficiency of farmland

and lowering the cost of healthcare. These facts are supported by strong evidence and

will be explored in further detail in the body of this paper below.

The first often-heard argument supporting veganism is that it benefits the

environment, specifically by effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting

the ever-increasing resource consumption resulting from economic development and a

rising world population. Due to sobering predictions from the scientific community, along

with rising public concern over the threat global warming poses, many people have

become more careful about their personal environment impact, which is an

understandable and proper reaction. But what is the most effective way of reducing
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environmental damage through individual action? One common answer is to drive

hybrid or all-electric vehicles; choosing to recycle and not fly as often are popular

answers too. All of these are decisions worth making when feasible, as each helps to

lessen one’s personal environmental impact. But, according to Damian Carrington, the

Environment Editor at The Guardian newspaper and renowned journalist on

environmental issues, the most effective method a person can use to reduce his or her

environmental footprint is to stop consuming dairy and meat products. In Carrington’s

writing he refers to a recent study led by Joseph Poore, who is part of the

Environmental Research Doctoral Training Partnership Team at the University of

Oxford. Carrington quotes Poore’s statement that, “A vegan diet is probably the single

biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but

global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use…It is far bigger than cutting

down on your flights or buying an electric car…as these only cut greenhouse gas

emissions” (Carrington). Carrington supports Poore’s assertion with an extensive use of

statistics, pointing out that, “New research shows that without meat and dairy

consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75%...and still feed

the world” (Carrington). He continues with his argument by stating, “While meat and

dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of (the world’s) protein, it uses the vast

majority – 83% – of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas

emissions” (Carrington). Benjamin Goldstein, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Erb Institute

Business For Sustainability at the University of Michigan, refers specifically to the

United States and its beef consumption in his article, where he also sees the

opportunity for more efficiency, saying, “The nutritional role of beef in the US diet could
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be performed by plant-sourced foods using 10% of the land while producing 4% of the

GHGs” (Goldstein). The acronym GHG Goldstein uses there refers to greenhouse

gasses. And then there is also the specific problem of deforestation caused by the meat

and dairy industries. Mat McDermott, an author and Director of Communications for the

Hindu American Foundation, writes in an article for Hinduism Today that, “According to

the World Bank, animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91 percent of rainforest

destruction worldwide” (McDermott). Basically, there is an opening for humans, by

rejecting the consumption of animal products and shifting to veganism, to decrease by

60% the quantity of greenhouse gasses emitted by agriculture and still feed Earth’s

population while also lessening water usage, ocean acidification, and deforestation.

An additional argument for making the transition to a vegan diet is that doing so

would serve as a catalyst for the development of healthier economies. Numerous

individuals may have not thought about this advantage because it is not highlighted as

frequently as the other positive impacts of veganism at political rallies, campaigns to

raise public awareness, or in many scientific studies. Nonetheless, it is a considerably

significant benefit. Lauren Cassani Davis, a former editorial fellow at The Atlantic who

has since become an English professor, highlights a recent study in her article, titled

“The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism”. This study was published in the

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and conducted by Marco

Springmann, a Senior Researcher in Population Health at the University of Oxford,

along with several of his contemporaries. The study concludes, “If people continue to

follow current trends of meat consumption, rather than shifting to a more balanced or

plant-based diet, it could cost the U.S. between $197 billion and $289 billion each
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year—and the global economy up to $1.6 trillion—by 2050” (Davis). Vijay Eswaran, an

economist and Executive Chairman of the multinational business group QI Companies,

arrives at a similar conclusion in his article written for the World Economic Forum,

saying, “The US could save…$250 billion (annually) if it switched to a plant-based

economy” (Eswaran). This number stems from the inevitable savings on healthcare that

would result from having a population in better health, and also from the money saved

resulting from cheaper costs associated with the production of plant-based foods in

comparison to the production of animal foods. While the United States could pocket all

that savings, the country would also have the option to use the increased efficiency of

its farmland to provide food for a substantially larger amount of people if it wanted to.

The same article states, “The additional food that would be produced as a result of a

shift to a vegan diet in the US alone could feed 350 million additional people”

(Eswaran). The total population of the United States is currently less than 350 million

people, so America would not even need this surplus food supply to sustain its own

people. It could instead make more money by choosing to export its extra food

provisions to countries that need it. Or, after becoming all the more resourceful by

making the same amount of food while taking up a far smaller portion of farmland, the

United States could instead opt to cut back on the land and other resources reserved for

agriculture, which would save considerable sums of money. No matter which route the

United States decided to take, the payoff would be noteworthy.

There are critics who occasionally speak out against the worldwide adoption of

veganism. The most common defense of this position is to point out the supposedly-

damaging environmental impacts of plant production, which usually includes a

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misleading reference to statistics by using them outside of the appropriate context. A

perfect example of this is the recent attack focusing on almond manufacturing in the

state of California. Ross Clark, a respected English journalist who typically covers

current events and politics, says in The Spectator, “80% of the world’s almonds are

grown in California, where they have been accused of consuming 8% of the state’s

water supply” (Clark). This figure is used in a deceitful manner because it avoids any

comparison to the resources required during the manufacturing of products that contain

dairy or meat, so 8% ends up distorted to appear like it is a much greater amount than

is actually the case. Refuting this claim and others that are similar, Alastair Bland, a

journalist who has written extensively on the topics of the environment, agriculture, and

fisheries for well-regarded publications such as NPR, Smithsonian.com, and Yale

Environment 360, quotes the work of Peter Gleick, who serves as President at The

Pacific Institute, while writing for Comstock’s Magazine, stating, “47% of California’s

water footprint is associated with production of meat and dairy” (Bland). After being

placed in the proper context, that 8% devoted to almond production suddenly appears

far less substantial, particularly when adding the fact that it accounts for 80% of all

almonds produced in the world. On the other hand, it is very improbable that the 47%

California uses of its water supply for its dairy and meat industries accounts for

anywhere near 80% of all dairy and meat products in the world.

Other critics of veganism point out that, since vegans cannot get any of their

calories from meat or dairy products, which are low in carbohydrates, they are forced to

rely heavily on foods with high amounts of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice,

beans, and fruit. This is a problem, according to critics, because diets high in
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carbohydrates have long been condemned by popular low-carb diet fads, like Atkins

and Paleo, as major roadblocks to losing weight. Vanessa Barford, a Senior Digital

Journalist for BBC News based in London, describes the views on carbohydrates of Dr.

Robert Atkins, the founder of the Atkins diet, in the following way: “Atkins said too many

carbs raised sugar levels in the blood, which prompted the release of insulin, a hormone

which increases the body's capacity for storing that sugar in the tissues as fat” (Barford).

The solution to this, according to Atkins via Barford, was “starving the body of carbs so

it is forced to burn its fat stores to get energy – a process known as ketosis” (Barford).

This emphasis on avoiding carbohydrates eventually became the mainstream, accepted

idea for how to lose weight. The problem is that this diet did little to differentiate

between different types of carbohydrates, so carbohydrates became viewed as a

problem across the board. The truth is that natural carbohydrates found in foods like

fruit, beans, and whole grains do not hinder weight loss. In fact, they may even help to

facilitate it. Matthew Butawan, Health Science Research Associate at the University of

Memphis, and Richard Bloomer, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the

University of Memphis, recently conducted a study testing the Daniel Fast, which is “a

biblically-inspired dietary program, most closely resembling a vegan diet but with

additional restrictions, including the elimination of processed foods, white flour products,

preservatives, additives, sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol” (Butawan). It is also a high-

carbohydrate plan, with 55%-70% of calorie intake coming from carbohydrates. In this

study, 189 participants were divided into two groups; one group followed the Daniel Fast

for three weeks, and the other group followed it for six months. Butawan and Bloomer

observed that “In all human trials dealing with the Daniel Fast, reductions in body
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weight, fat mass, and fat free mass were reported” (Butawan). A second study,

published in the academic journal Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition by

Monica Dinu, a human nutrition research expert at the University of Florence, confirms

these effects of veganism on body weight: “The overall analysis among cross-sectional

studies reported significant reduced levels of body mass index, total cholesterol, LDL-

cholesterol, and glucose levels in vegetarians and vegans versus omnivores” (Dinu). As

can be seen in that outcome, vegans and vegetarians not only lost weight, but both

groups also saw improved cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels. This disproves

Dr. Atkin’s idea that high-carbohydrate diets, like most vegan diets, automatically raise

sugar levels in the blood, and it shows that naturally-occurring carbohydrates in plant

foods can be beneficial for human health.

A third supporting point for switching to veganism is the one alluded to in

Anthony’s story: it improves physical health, in terms of both increased longevity and

quality of life. Though the first two arguments addressed above are firmly supported by

research, they might not be enough to get some people to move towards action, simply

because people may not feel those benefits directly in their day-to-day lives, unless they

are struggling with poverty or in some other situation where they stand to benefit from

would-be food surpluses. Additionally, many individuals continue to doubt the existence

and dangers of a changing climate altogether. In the United States of America, which

frankly stands to benefit from a change to veganism more than most other countries

because of its very developed economy and resulting high rates of greenhouse gas

emissions and resource depletion, climate change skepticism is disconcertingly

common, which can be seen in the image below.

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Fig. 1. United States’ percentage of

climate deniers compared to other
countries (“The US has the highest
percentage of climate deniers in the rich
world”)

This image is part of an article written for The Guardian by Oliver Milman, an

environmental reporter for Guardian News and Media in The United States, who cites a

survey by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project showing that out of twenty-three

countries, “Only Saudi Arabia and Indonesia had a higher proportion of doubters”

(Milman). Numerous others may see environmental and economic issues as important

but not quite worth the sacrifice of giving up the foods they love. Almost everyone,

however, would likely be interested in bettering the quality of their lives and increasing

their lifespan overall. Veganism can do each of these things. Winston J. Craig, a

reputable Professor of Nutrition at Andrews University in Michigan with extensive

experience researching nutrition, writes in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

“Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure,

reducing their risk of heart disease” (Craig). Craig goes on to say that, in addition to

these positives, people eating a vegan diet also have lower incidence of stroke and

mortality from stroke, and a lower risk of cancer (Craig). Dr. Michael Greger, a licensed

physician who specializes in nutrition and has written several books on the subject,

makes some similar assertions. In an article posted on Nutrtionfacts.org, which is

Greger’s own nonprofit website devoted to nutrition, he says, “Greater adherence to [a

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low-carb diet] high in animal sources of fat and protein was associated with higher all-

cause and cardiovascular mortality… diets based largely on plant foods promote health

and longevity” (Greger). Essentially, people are much less likely to die from heart issues

or other various causes if they consume little to no animal protein or animal fat. And it

naturally follows that avoiding these problems not only considerably lowers the

probability of premature death, but it would also help people sidestep potentially

debilitating effects that often accompany these episodes, like the loss of brain function

following a stroke or the decrease of physical stamina following a heart attack, that

negatively affect their quality of life. Veganism has some more specific physical health

benefits as well, one of which is improved sleep. According to the Physicians

Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit group of over 12,000 physicians

focused on disease prevention over treatment, “Sleep deprivation has been tied to

obesity, elevated blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease” (PCRM). This presents a

clear opportunity to lower the rates of each of these common problems by simply

helping people get sufficient sleep, and the decision to switch to a vegan diet would

assist with this undertaking. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine goes

on to explain how veganism helps, saying that complex carbohydrates, which are

commonly found in plant-based foods, “stimulate the release of serotonin—a

neurotransmitter that calms your brain and helps you sleep” (PCRM).

Anthony’s experience serves as a perfect example of veganism’s power to better

the health of the human body. This positive impact, alongside the several other benefits

of veganism discussed in this paper, makes a convincing argument that switching to

veganism presents a marvelous opportunity for any human being willing to do so. No
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other single decision provides a larger “bang for the buck” potential than choosing to

make the change to veganism. The evidence is extensive and clearly indisputable: the

vegan diet supports environmental health by decreasing the emissions levels of

greenhouse gasses and curbing the overuse of resources, veganism enhances world

economies by enhancing the productivity of farms and lowering the cost to provide

healthcare, and veganism improves the health and well-being of individuals. All citizens

of the world should consider embracing a large-scale shift to veganism. When this day

comes, a maintainable planet with a thriving atmosphere and ecosystems, prosperous

economies, and a healthy population will quickly become a reality. The adoption of

veganism is, without any doubt, a worthwhile change.

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Works Cited

Barford, Vanessa. “Atkins And The Never-Ending Battle Over Carbs.” BBC.com, BBC

News, 17 Apr. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22145709.

Bland, Alastair. “Livestock Production Drinks Up Water In Drought-Stricken California.”

Comstock's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2016, www.comstocksmag.com/web-

only/livestock-production-drinks-water-drought-stricken-california.

Butawan, Matthew, and Richard J. Bloomer. “Favorable Cardio-Metabolic Outcomes

Following High Carbohydrate Intake in Accordance with the Daniel Fast.” Journal

of Fasting & Health, vol. 5, no. 1, Winter 2017, p. 11. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=123285203&site=eh

ost-live.

Carrington, Damian. “Avoiding Meat And Dairy Is 'Single Biggest Way' To Reduce Your

Impact On Earth.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 31 May 2018,

www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-

single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth.

Clark, Ross. "Tofu Truths: Cutting Out Meat Will Not Solve The World's Problems."

Spectator, 26 Jan. 2019, p. 13. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A573558759/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&

xid=33f0c6ec.

Craig, Winston J. “Health Effects Of Vegan Diets.” The American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition, vol. 89, no. 5, 11 Mar. 2009, pp. 1627S–1633S,

academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/89/5/1627S/4596952.
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Davis, Lauren Cassani. “The Economic Case For Worldwide Vegetarianism.”

Theatlantic.com, Atlantic Media Company, 30 Mar. 2016,

www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-economic-case-for-

worldwide-vegetarianism/475524/.

Dinu, Monica, et al. “Vegetarian, Vegan Diets and Multiple Health Outcomes: A

Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.” Critical

Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, vol. 57, no. 17, Nov. 2017, pp. 3640–

3649. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10408398.2016.1138447.

Eswaran, Vijay. “Vegetarianism Is Good For The Economy Too.” World Economic

Forum, 18 Dec. 2018, www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/12/vegetarianism-is-good-

for-the-economy-too/.

Goldstein, Benjamin, et al. "Potential To Curb The Environmental Burdens Of American

Beef Consumption Using A Novel Plant-Based Beef Substitute." PLoS ONE, vol.

12, no. 12, 2017, p. e0189029. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517670488/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&

xid=38818d90.

Greger, Michael. “The Diet We Were Designed To Eat.” NutritionFacts.org, 13 June

2019, nutritionfacts.org/2019/06/13/the-diet-we-were-designed-to-eat/.

McDermott, Mat. “Assessing the Meat Industry’s Impact on Earth’s Climate.” Hinduism

Today, vol. 39, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 52–57. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=119815877&site=eh

ost-live
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Milman, Oliver, and Fiona Harvey. “US Is Hotbed Of Climate Change Denial, Major

Global Survey Finds.” Theguardian.com, Guardian News and Media, 8 May

2019, www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/07/us-hotbed-climate-

change-denial-international-poll.

PCRM (Author Unlisted). “Eat Your Way To A Good Night's Sleep.” Pcrm.org,

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 19 Feb. 2016,

www.pcrm.org/news/blog/eat-your-way-good-nights-sleep.

“The US Has The Highest Percentage Of Climate Deniers In The Rich World”. The

Guardian, 8 May 2019, www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/07/us-

hotbed-climate-change-denial-international-poll.