I am a vegetarian and I found your opening line a little hypocritical. "If you are a vegetarian, I hope you think twice before trying to change a meat eater’s mind about their steak dinner."

But what exactly is this article? It is you trying to change people's minds about vegetarianism which is exactly what you told vegetarians not to do to meat eaters. Vegetarians can be healthier than meat-eaters, and as with all things, that's only if you eat the right foods. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans eat unhealthy things, regardless of whether or not they are a vegetarian. If someone is a meat-eater, they are increasing their risk for heart problems and if someone is a vegetarian, they are putting themselves at risk for not getting the nutrients they need. There are foods that aren't meat that do contain the proper nutrients. Ever heard of vegetables? Eggs? Tofu? Beans? Fruit? These are the reasons I disagree with you. Personally, I don't care if people eat meat. They can do whatever the heck they want. But just like you don't want me telling you not to eat meat, I don't want you telling me to eat meat.

If you are a meat eater, I hope you think twice before trying to change a vegetarian’s mind about their veggies.

THe reason your acne went away is probably because 50% of the oil/fat you consume  is found in meat.

Vegetarianism can be healthier, but it can become very dangerous if you do not get the right amount of protein and vitamins elsewhere.

I completely agree with you on this point. Many people are blind to the fact that in order for nature to work properly, living creatures must die. Our planet does not have enough resources to feed everyone and everything, no matter what species you are, and that's why there is natural selection and evolution.

Humans are omnivores, and therefore we need to hunt meat and gather plants. It has been this way since our early days as human beings. Herbivores, like deer, cows, pigs, and chickens, have an abundance of food that is easily replenished and aquired. If allowed to, herbivores would over produce and over run the planet, similar to an infestation of bugs or rodents. The reason these animals reproduce so quickly is that they are easy prey to other forces of the world and need to have a large population so that they do not die out.

One point of the vegetarian lifestyle that is frequently addressed is the mistreatment of livestock and other mass produced animals for food. I do agree with them on this point that animals are more than just food for us and they do deserve a chance at life, but there are ways to get around this. Free-range animal meat is sold in stores, many people hunt for their own meat, as you have said, and with so many animal rights organizations out there as well as advancements in technology and biogenetics, it is possible that at some point in the future these conditions will be improved upon.

Thank you for writing such a well thought out and well written article.

The first sentence of your comment is irritating beyond all belief. Just because we are sentient doesn't me we can "choose" what our body needs to survive. Choosing to not eat meat may be acceptable today with man-made, nutrient enriched foods, but when our digestive systems were first developing, these sort of luxuries were not available. In nature, it is not only beneficial but necessary for survival to eat meat. Even with new sorts of food available today, it has still been proven that certain nutrients, like phosphorus, are more easily processed when aquired from meat. In foods like cereals, phosphorus is present in phytic acid, which needs to be hydrolized before the body can use it. Phosphorus in meat can be absorbed without being hydrolized, expending less energy.

Now think about what you said about "choosing" our own food. By that same logic, do you find canabalism to be acceptable? Eating isn't an issue left up to personal choice or preference. If someone preferred to eat only potato chips and ice cream for the rest of their life, their doctor, friends, or family would tell them they shouldn't because A) these things are bad for our bodies and B) they wouldn't be receiving the nutrients necessary for our bodies to work properly.

And since you mentioned starving children, I'll have you know that it's not the poverty of the country that is keeping these families from getting food. The governments that run these countries keep these people in poverty so that they can live in luxury. I know of several cases personally of people who sent money or food to third-world countries and the government either sent the food back, saying it wasn't "good enough," took the money for themselves, or sold that very same food on the streets for the same prices that the people living there cannot afford. So don't tell people to send money when it's not going to do any good.

 I totally agree with you. Some people eat meat, and some don't. It's not really polite, either, to some of the vegetarians out there. I happen to have a vegetarian friend, and she is just fine, if you ask me.

If this is a persuasive, I'm not sure it's the best topic out there. I wouldn't try to change people's minds about what they eat. Come on, is it really necessary? As long as they're eating healthy, why bother?

My post double posted, sorry!

I agree in part with the author and in part with mae-mae. Yes, you shouldn't say to vegetarians not to push their vegetarian lifestyle on others and then push your omnivore lifestyle on us. However how is meat not good for us, mae- mae? to the author I would like to state that vegetarians are probably vegetarians because of the thought of eating something living. I am not a vegetarian so I can't be sure, but I don't think it's because they think meat is bad! i do like your article, and agree with most of the facts, however these are just some things to think about.