In last month's Teen Ink, an article by the title of "But... Bacon!" was published in the points of view section. The author, Anne Mickey, argues that vegeterianism is often misconstrued by the omnivorous members of society. She claims that her self-imposed commitment of not consuming meat is a healthier lifestyle, benefiting both her physical and mental well-being. While Mickey's  choice to be a vegetarian is both respectable and inarguably her personal business, I disagree with some points she raises about the health benefits of completely eliminating meat from one's diet. 

           The article claims that "One of the most compelling arguments not to eat meat is the same as why you shouldn't smoke cigarettes: health-wise, there is little to gain and a slew of things to lose". Comparing something as deadly as cigarettes to such an significant part of many peoples daily food intake is ridiculous. Research actually shows that meat-eaters tend to be more prone to diseases than vegeterians only because vegetarians are generally more health conscious. They are more likely to exercise, and less likely to smoke. Straying away from overly-processed meats is also a good way to prevent diseases, and it is important to make the differentiation between processed and unprocessed. Proteins that come from meats (which increase bone health and muscle mass) are extremely beneficial and hard to replace, especially in a cost-efficient manner.

             Another statement Mickey made was that being a vegetarian was generally cheaper. This is completely subjective, depending on the quality of food one prefers. What it boils down to is simply the personal reasoning. But for anybody deciding if they should go through with such a drastic lifestyle change, vegetarianism being a healthier alternative may not be the case at all!