Essay on Pros and Cons of Vegetarianism

I. Introduction

A. Attention Getter: Recently, Burger King Sweden announced that they have created a “50/50” menu. This menu will include all of Burger King’s classics, but with a twist. They will be randomly selecting who will receive the meat patties or a plant-based patty to see if their customers will be able to tell the difference. So... could you? Would you know the difference? Should you try it out?

B. Specific Purpose Statement: Due to the ongoing conversation, I would like to inform you about the pros and cons of vegetarianism.

C. Credibility Statement: My mother has been a vegetarian for nearly thirty-five years and my father has been an avid meat eater for fifty-six years, as of two weeks ago. So from a very young age, I have seen the advantages and disadvantages of the two lifestyle choices. Because I have only seen the personal side of this discussion, I have chosen to research this topic in more detail and would like to share with you what I have found.

D. Preview of Main Points

1. One of the main reasons people follow a vegetarian diet is their concern about the unethical treatment of animals in the meat industry.
2. Other Americans have transitioned to a meat-free diet due to the health benefits associated with the lifestyle, including a lower risk of heart disease and less likely to develop colon cancer.
3. However, studies have shown nutrient deficiencies in protein, as well as vitamins B-12, iron, and zinc.
4. Some scientists believe that the resources required to maintain a vegetarian diet may be destroying the environment.

Transition: Now, I would like to start with the first pro...

II. Body

A. Pro 1. Many vegetarians become vegetarians because they believe it is cruel and unethical to kill animals for food when there are many vegetarian options available.

1. Supporting fact #1: Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, claims that “Animals are sentient beings that have emotions and social connections. Scientific studies show that cattle, pigs, chickens, and all warm-blooded animals can experience stress, pain, and fear.”
2. Supporting fact #2: According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s economic research team, nearly 14 thousand cows, 53 thousand pigs, and 4 million birds have been butchered for food from January to May 2019.

B. Pro 2: Studies show that a vegetarian diet lowers the risk of heart disease and that vegetarians are less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters.

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1. Supporting fact #1: In a study at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, 6,000 vegetarians and 5,000 nonvegetarians were monitored for nearly twelve years. At the end of this study, vegetarians were shown to have a 24% lower mortality from heart disease than meat eaters. The vegetarian diet also showed lower blood pressure, prevent hypertension, and thus reduce the risk of stroke.
2. Supporting fact #2: According to a 1994 study by Harvard researchers, consuming beef, pork, or lamb five or more times a week significantly increases the risk of colon cancer by nearly forty percent. The World Cancer Research Fund has found that eating more processed meats such as bacon or sausage increases this risk even further.

Transition: While there are many health benefits to following a vegetarian diet, one major concern is the nutrient deficiencies caused by removing meat from your diet.

C. Con 1: With meat being the easiest source of protein and iron, vegetarians have a difficult time trying to replace these within their diets.

1. Supporting fact #1: Meat is the best source of vitamin B12, a vitamin necessary for a healthy nervous and digestive system. B12 can be found in eggs, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products, all of which most vegetarians will consume. However, in the study by Dr. Wolfgang Hermann, the senior scientist in the Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, the results showed two in three vegetarians were vitamin B12 deficient compared to one in 20 meat eaters.
2. Supporting fact #2: Eating meat provides a better source of iron than a vegetarian diet. The body absorbs 15% to 35% of the heme iron in meat, but only absorbs 2% to 20% of the non-heme iron found in vegetarian sources like leafy greens and beans.

D. Con 2: In the last ten years, many studies have been done with regard to the environmental harm that the vegetarian lifestyle may …….

1. Supporting fact #1: Processed vegetarian protein options such as tofu can cause more greenhouse gas pollution than farming meat. A 2010 report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found that the production of soy-based proteins such as tofu could contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions than eating locally produced meat. According to a Finland study in 2009, giving up all animal products would only give a 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, not enough to be worth the dietary sacrifice.
2. Supporting fact #2: According to Doug Gurian-Sherman and Margaret Mellon, senior scientists in the Union of Concerned Scientists Food and Environment Program, vegetarian diets are not necessarily better for the environment. They estimate that about 90% of US cropland suffers from topsoil loss at 13 times the sustainable rate. Approximately 92% of US soybeans, which is a vegetarian staple protein, are planted with genetically modified soy, which is immune to herbicides. This immunity allows soy farmers to douse their fields with large quantities of weed-killing herbicides which are toxic to other plants and fish. Some scientists worry that increased herbicide use could create 'super weeds.'

Transition: Now that I have presented the two sides of the topic, I would like to recap on what I have covered today.

III. Conclusion

A. Summary of Main Points

1. First, I explained why many vegetarians believe that the meat industry is unethical.
2. Second, I went over the major health benefits of a vegetarian diet.
3. After that, I showed the nutrient deficiencies that can be associated with the vegetarian lifestyle,
4. And lastly, I stated that some scientists are concerned with the environmental threats that vegetarianism poses.

B. Restate Purpose: My purpose in this speech is to inform you about the pros and cons of vegetarianism.

C. Remind Audience of Credibility: As I said earlier, why I am exposed to vegetarianism on a personal level, I was very interested in learning more, so I spent the last week researching the topic in more detail.

D. Decisive Concluding Statement: Well both sides of this argument have scientific validity, the power to choose a side is up to the individual. Everyone has their own opinion on what a vegetarian is and I hope after listening to my speech today, you will feel more informed to formulate your own opinions.

1. Bartiromo, Michael. “Burger King's '50/50' Menu Randomly Decides Whether Customers Get
2. Real Meat on Their Burgers.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 16 July 2019,
3. www.foxnews.com/food-drink/burger-king-50-50-menu-real-meat-plant-based.
4. Ronzio, R. (2017). vegetarian. In R. Ronzio, Facts on File library of health and living: The encyclopedia of nutrition and good health (3rd ed.). New, NY: Facts On File. Retrieved from https://easydb.angelo.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofnagh/vegetarian/0?institutionId=3311
5. “Should People Become Vegetarian?” ProConorg Headlines, ProCon.org, 23 Oct. 2018, vegetarian.procon.org/.