Is anyone a vegetarian or vegan?

Are you a vegetarian or a vegan?

  • I am a vegetarian or vegan

    Votes: 43 27.0%
  • I am not a vegetarian or vegan

    Votes: 116 73.0%

  • Total voters
    159

Zoo50

Citizen of Zooville
Just wondering how many other zoos are vegetarian or vegan.

I am a vegetarian -- I do not eat meat because I think it is morally wrong (I don't think animals should be viewed as mere objects to be consumed). Animals should be treated as equal to humans, and that means not eating them.

I also know that the current conditions of factory farms and slaughterhouses in the U.S. and elsewhere are horrific (they are basically animal torture places).

Also, I think things like "if you wouldn't eat a dog, why would you eat a pig?" (Pigs, by the way, can be sexual lovers just like dogs).

There does seem to be some overlap of zoos and vegetarians/vegans.
 
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Wow - early polling I know, but wasn't expecting 50/50. It will be interesting to see how this progresses. FYI - I do eat meat several times a week. I do not eat my personal family.
 
I struggle with some deep philosophical issues and this is one of them, I'm unsure about many aspects of it, so I prefer to err on the side of caution and avoid eating other animals. For me one of the critical aspects is pain, suffering, and awareness. I don't think bacteria have the capacity of awareness, not plants for much the same reason that neither has a nervous system or analog with which to sense pain or support the ability to contemplate their own existence.

Animals more complex than that give me pause. C elegans, a tiny sub-1000 cell nematode has selective food preferences. Bees have some sort of image of self, because they are capable of communicating to other bees a complex path through space (and time!) to direct them to a food source. When it comes to more complex life, such as mammals and birds I personally think most have at least some sort of image of self and self-awareness. That makes me question the implications of killing and eating them as I would potentially be snuffing out an individual, a thought which causes me a bit of grief.

I will, on rare occasions, eat meat, but it generally causes problems in my head, so I avoid it. For example, if I order food and it comes with some unintended meat, I will usually eat it because the damage is done, if I reject it, the food goes in the trash and then the poor soul died for nothing.
 
I was for about 3 years, for various philosophical and moral reasons, a vegetarian/ on/off vegan.
Now, for various philosophical and personal reasons, I am closer to a carnivore.
I feel no problems with eating meat, I never did really, that isnt why I abstained.
I feel it is the natural order of life for man to consume meat, and is essential for a man to be in optimal health.
Having experienced both sides of the spectrum fully and in depth, I am happier and healthier as a meat eater.
I do try to get the best quality meats possible. If I could raise my own livestock I would, but I dont have enough land for cattle.
 
I was for about 3 years, for various philosophical and moral reasons, a vegetarian/ on/off vegan.
Now, for various philosophical and personal reasons, I am closer to a carnivore.
I feel no problems with eating meat, I never did really, that isnt why I abstained.
I feel it is the natural order of life for man to consume meat, and is essential for a man to be in optimal health.
Having experienced both sides of the spectrum fully and in depth, I am happier and healthier as a meat eater.
I do try to get the best quality meats possible. If I could raise my own livestock I would, but I dont have enough land for cattle.
Closer to a carnivore.. Not omnivore? Does that mean you eat mainly meat and just a few (or none) vegetables and fruits?
 
I eat Keto
As a country girl I cold never work out why it is ok to plough a field where the rabbits and mice and other animals that live underground killing them then plant a crop and spray them with pesticides/ herbicides to kill all the insects then bait other animals/ insects that eat the grain in storage in total killing millions of creatures that is seen as ok.
But to kill our own cows and sheep to eat would be seen as bad.
 
I was for about 3 years, for various philosophical and moral reasons, a vegetarian/ on/off vegan.
Now, for various philosophical and personal reasons, I am closer to a carnivore.
I feel no problems with eating meat, I never did really, that isnt why I abstained.
I feel it is the natural order of life for man to consume meat, and is essential for a man to be in optimal health.
Having experienced both sides of the spectrum fully and in depth, I am happier and healthier as a meat eater.
I do try to get the best quality meats possible. If I could raise my own livestock I would, but I dont have enough land for cattle.

Actually, it is possible to live a healthy life and be vegan or vegetarian. When being vegetarian, the only "additive" one needs is vitamin B12, which can be found as a standalone vitamin. Plus, being vegetarian/vegan means that no animal cruelty and/or suffering went into making one's meal.

Also, there's no such thing as "natural order". People can choose to not eat meat based on philosophical reasoning.
 
Zoo50
I disagree with various parts of that statement, but I think I understand your sentiment.
Firstly, there is absolutely a "natural order" to all life. Predetors eat prey, bugs eat plants, birds eat bugs. Etc etc. An oversimplification yes but you get my point.
The natural order of life is the structured ecosystem evolved over millions of years of trial and error, and every piece has a role in the great cycle.
Where do we humans fit in? At the top of course. To answer that question fully we would have to look at the evolution of our species. Since thats a long and boring lecture, Ill keep it short and sweet.
Our bodies, clearly, are designed to eat just about anything. We are omnivores. We can take any food, any diet, and our body will do its best to survive on it. But thriving is not the same as surviving.
We arent evolved to be herbivores, thats a fact, but we can choose to be if we wish to.

I never said vegetarians were all unhealthy, I simply said that eating meat is important for a man to be in optimal health.
I wont rely on pills to be healthy.
I could give you a long boring lecture on testosterone production and protein synthesis, healthy cholesterol and vitamins but again I will keep it short and sweet.
We can eat anything we want for any reason we want. I could live on rice alone if I chose to subject my body to that, but it doesnt make it optimal or natural, definitely not healthy.

The things I state about my diet are not me reciting some study I chose to cherry pick, but rather the result of years of personal experience.
I feel my best, sharpest and brightest while consuming large amounts of red meat. I perform my best in the gym, burn the most fat and generally emotionally feel the best eating meat. I feel my worst while consuming grains and processed foods. I feel weaker, slower, bloated and mentally foggy.
Grains are for prey animals. Humans are not grazing animals.
I like fruit, but too much sugar has the same effects.

Like I said, I was vegetarian (even a vegan for a while), a "healthy" one at that. I ate my soy proteins and took my vitamins, but it was not optimal. I know now that I was not my best. My testosterone levels suffered, my muscle mass was non existant and my body was unsatisfied. I thought it was what was best for the world, and the humane thing to do. I didnt want to contribute to the harming of the planet and the abuse of life. I didnt realize it isnt so black and white as "eating animals means suffering and eating plants means no suffering".

I respect your choice to be a vegetarian, its your body.
I agree that the mainstream meat production industry is disgusting and full of suffering, unhealthy animals.
I recommend farm fresh, grass fed beef that has been humanely and cleanly handled.
Not all animals are tortured.

But, since we are on that topic, someone above made a great point.
What about all the damage and death caused by horticulture and crop production?
Do you honestly believe that me raising a flock of chickens on my land and eating them is worse than what it takes to produce the amount of grains, vegetables and soy that being vegetarian would require?
Think about the tilling, land clearing, tractors, dozers, pesticides, fertilizers, trailers etc, its not exactly a "do no harm" activity..
Big agriculture is a major contributor to many problems. Bad farming is causing eco collapse and the death of the pollinators, thats a fact..
And my point here is not to be contrary and snide, its simply to bring light to the fact that things arent always what they seem.
A local farmer with a small herd of livestock is not an animal abusing monster, but big agriculture is polluting the worlds water suppies and soil as well as decimating many ecosystems..
You dont have to contribute to suffering directly for it to be happening, its just not that black and white.
Youre no healthier or less guilty by not eating meat is my point in summary.

Actually, it is possible to live a healthy life and be vegan or vegetarian. When being vegetarian, the only "additive" one needs is vitamin B12, which can be found as a standalone vitamin. Plus, being vegetarian/vegan means that no animal cruelty and/or suffering went into making one's meal.

Also, there's no such thing as "natural order". People can choose to not eat meat based on philosophical reasoning.
 
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Zoo50
I disagree with various parts of that statement, but I think I understand your sentiment.
Firstly, there is absolutely a "natural order" to all life. Predetors eat prey, bugs eat plants, birds eat bugs. Etc etc. An oversimplification yes but you get my point.
The natural order of life is the structured ecosystem evolved over millions of years of trial and error, and every piece has a role in the great cycle.
Where do we humans fit in? At the top of course. To answer that question fully we would have to look at the evolution of our species. Since thats a long and boring lecture, Ill keep it short and sweet.
Our bodies, clearly, are designed to eat just about anything. We are omnivores. We can take any food, any diet, and our body will do its best to survive on it. But thriving is not the same as surviving.
We arent evolved to be herbivores, thats a fact, but we can choose to be if we wish to.

I never said vegetarians were all unhealthy, I simply said that eating meat is important for a man to be in optimal health.
I wont rely on pills to be healthy.
I could give you a long boring lecture on testosterone production and protein synthesis, healthy cholesterol and vitamins but again I will keep it short and sweet.
We can eat anything we want for any reason we want. I could live on rice alone if I chose to subject my body to that, but it doesnt make it optimal or natural, definitely not healthy.

The things I state about my diet are not me reciting some study I chose to cherry pick, but rather the result of years of personal experience.
I feel my best, sharpest and brightest while consuming large amounts of red meat. I perform my best in the gym, burn the most fat and generally emotionally feel the best eating meat. I feel my worst while consuming grains and processed foods. I feel weaker, slower, bloated and mentally foggy.
Grains are for prey animals. Humans are not grazing animals.
I like fruit, but too much sugar has the same effects.

Like I said, I was vegetarian (even a vegan for a while), a "healthy" one at that. I ate my soy proteins and took my vitamins, but it was not optimal. I know now that I was not my best. My testosterone levels suffered, my muscle mass was non existant and my body was unsatisfied. I thought it was what was best for the world, and the humane thing to do. I didnt want to contribute to the harming of the planet and the abuse of life. I didnt realize it isnt so black and white as "eating animals means suffering and eating plants means no suffering".

I respect your choice to be a vegetarian, its your body.
I agree that the mainstream meat production industry is disgusting and full of suffering, unhealthy animals.
I recommend farm fresh, grass fed beef that has been humanely and cleanly handled.
Not all animals are tortured.

But, since we are on that topic, someone above made a great point.
What about all the damage and death caused by horticulture and crop production?
Do you honestly believe that me raising a flock of chickens on my land and eating them is worse than what it takes to produce the amount of grains, vegetables and soy that 7 billion vegetarians would require?
Think about the tilling, land clearing, tractors, dozers, pesticides, fertilizers, trailers etc are not exactly a "do no harm" activity..
Big agriculture is a major contributor to many problems. Bad farming is causing eco collapse and the death of the pollinators, thats a fact..
And my point here is not to be contrary and snide, its simply to bring light to the fact that things arent always what they seem.
A local farmer with a small herd of livestock is not an animal abusing monster, but big agriculture is polluting the worlds water suppies and soil as well as decimating many ecosystems..
You dont have to contribute to suffering directly for it to be happening, its just not that black and white.
Youre no healthier or less guilty by not eating meat is my point in summary.

Humans are not at the "top" of anything. Morally, humans are an animal just like all other animal species.

With regard to the omnivore argument, humans do not have to be omnivores. Our thought processes allow us to choose what we eat, and to choose the option which involves the least amount of cruelty / suffering. Being vegetarian / vegan involves less cruelty and suffering than eating meat does.

As I said, eating meat is not a necessary component of being healthy. In other words, people do not need to eat meat to be healthy.

In any case, regardless of health, what matters is that when animals are killed for meat, they are exploited and treated like objects. This is morally wrong because they are treated as being "lower" than humans. Non-human animals should be afforded the same moral consideration that humans get -- this means not killing them. See the Wikipedia article "speciesism", about how humans treat other animals as morally inferior to humans.

Think of it this way: why do certain animals (humans, dogs, and a few others) have an "untouchable" status, while it is "OK" to kill others (like pigs, cows, etc.) That is inconsistent. A pig's life is just as important as a human's life or a dog's life.

People should not do things at the expense of animal's lives. One should not selfishly feel "good" (in terms of their health) knowing that an animal paid with its life to satisfy that temporary state. In other words, an animal's life is more important than one's physical satisfaction.

Environmental issues exist with eating meat also. Producing meat is a much more resource-intensive process than non-meat sources. It takes huge amounts of water and land to "sustain" the unethical agribusinesses involved in slaughter.

I think you should consider going back to being vegan (or at least vegetarian), because it is better for animals, and for the environment.

And, with regard to health, maybe there was something about your diet that needed adjustment. There are a lot of websites about how to have a healthy vegan / vegetarian diet.
 
Humans are not at the "top" of anything. Morally, humans are an animal just like all other animal species.

With regard to the omnivore argument, humans do not have to be omnivores. Our thought processes allow us to choose what we eat, and to choose the option which involves the least amount of cruelty / suffering. Being vegetarian / vegan involves less cruelty and suffering than eating meat does.

As I said, eating meat is not a necessary component of being healthy. In other words, people do not need to eat meat to be healthy.

In any case, regardless of health, what matters is that when animals are killed for meat, they are exploited and treated like objects. This is morally wrong because they are treated as being "lower" than humans. Non-human animals should be afforded the same moral consideration that humans get -- this means not killing them. See the Wikipedia article "speciesism", about how humans treat other animals as morally inferior to humans.

Think of it this way: why do certain animals (humans, dogs, and a few others) have an "untouchable" status, while it is "OK" to kill others (like pigs, cows, etc.) That is inconsistent. A pig's life is just as important as a human's life or a dog's life.

People should not do things at the expense of animal's lives. One should not selfishly feel "good" (in terms of their health) knowing that an animal paid with its life to satisfy that temporary state. In other words, an animal's life is more important than one's physical satisfaction.

Environmental issues exist with eating meat also. Producing meat is a much more resource-intensive process than non-meat sources. It takes huge amounts of water and land to "sustain" the unethical agribusinesses involved in slaughter.

I think you should consider going back to being vegan (or at least vegetarian), because it is better for animals, and for the environment.

And, with regard to health, maybe there was something about your diet that needed adjustment. There are a lot of websites about how to have a healthy vegan / vegetarian diet.
It appears we wont be agreeing on this topic.
Again, your body, your choice.
Best wishes.
 
I just eat what i like and what i see it's healthier to eat. Any living being actually obtain nutrients from other living beings. Still, i respect other's thoughts and what doggygirl said it's true, somehow it's "odd" to find people into veganism/vegetarianism and zoo at the same time, usually vegans/vegetarians tend to say being a zoo is "abusing animals", i just find it odd, lol.
 
I like my vegetables per-processed.... by any number of animals. I did grow up on a farm though so everyone, animals included, had a purpose be it as a work animal or a food animal. They all got names and were all well taken care of, but we did eat most of them (not dogs and cats). I personally think it is silly to be vegan/vegetarian, humanity would not be where it is today if we did not discover fire, invent the wheel, or eat animals! I do (slightly) understand being against mass animal butchering but buying local should negate all of those arguments.

To each their own though! As long as it does not affect me, I do not care about others choices, you do you!
 
I have respect for vegans and vegetarians along the lines of a janist. I can understand the non-violence stance but even some would call a janist an extreme version of such. I'd like to know where the line is drawn before violence against ones self occurs by going to such extremes.
 
I feel it is the natural order of life for man to consume meat

Beastvoyeur, do you feel it is the natural order of life for man to have sex with non-human animals or to post on message boards on the internet using computers with qwerty keyboards? In case that these things are not the natural order, how do you decide when the natural order is relevant for you and when it is not?

I hope you don’t mind that I shortened your quote – it is not my intention to take it out of context, just the point that interests me the most.


Think of it this way: why do certain animals (humans, dogs, and a few others) have an "untouchable" status, while it is "OK" to kill others (like pigs, cows, etc.) That is inconsistent. A pig's life is just as important as a human's life or a dog's life.

The reasons for nutrition taboos vary. Some animals are taboo "because God said so", which is a good reason for those who believe in God. There are further religious reasons such as the idea that ancestors are reborn as certain animals. Sometimes animals are taboo because of personal experiences with them, sometimes because they are from an endangered species and there is a consensus that losing that species would be a greater loss than losing individuals is. Sometimes the likeliness to become ill from eating certain animals may be a cause, sometimes it’s just the cuteness factor.

I agree that it is somewhat inconsistent. It may seem unfair to the animal which happens not to be too cute in human eyes. But does it need to be consistent? I have never met anyone who made it a personal goal to eat consistently. Some people like spaghetti and others prefer rice or potatoes. Is it ethically wrong to act upon these different preferences? And am I wrong to share my life with a dog and provide for him, when a pig’s life is just as important?

There is another point that I am pondering about: How do you measure that a pig’s life is just as important as a human’s or a dog’s life? What’s the benchmark?

For the poll, my nutrition is vegetarian.
 
I just eat what i like and what i see it's healthier to eat. Any living being actually obtain nutrients from other living beings. Still, i respect other's thoughts and what doggygirl said it's true, somehow it's "odd" to find people into veganism/vegetarianism and zoo at the same time, usually vegans/vegetarians tend to say being a zoo is "abusing animals", i just find it odd, lol.

I don't think it's odd to be zoo and vegan; I think it makes perfect sense. (Loving / respecting animals means not killing them, which means not eating meat; and loving animals / having sex with them is part of what makes one a zoo).

Remember that pretty much any non-zoo group of people is going to be against zoo. (In other words, not just vegans). For example, most equestrian groups are probably anti-zoo.

I like my vegetables per-processed.... by any number of animals. I did grow up on a farm though so everyone, animals included, had a purpose be it as a work animal or a food animal. They all got names and were all well taken care of, but we did eat most of them (not dogs and cats). I personally think it is silly to be vegan/vegetarian, humanity would not be where it is today if we did not discover fire, invent the wheel, or eat animals! I do (slightly) understand being against mass animal butchering but buying local should negate all of those arguments.

To each their own though! As long as it does not affect me, I do not care about others choices, you do you!

It's not "silly" to be vegetarian/vegan. Being vegetarian/vegan is the ethical way to eat -- it involves less animal cruelty/suffering, it is healthier, and it is better for the environment. If people knew how horrible factory farms are, more people would be vegetarian/vegan.

It makes no sense to name animals and treat them as pets, and then to kill them and eat them. That is morally hypocritical and inconsistent -- it treats animals as objects, rather than as beings worthy of moral consideration.

Also, buying "local" does not make slaughter more ethical -- slaughter is slaughter (it is always unethical, regardless of how "local" it is).

There is another point that I am pondering about: How do you measure that a pig’s life is just as important as a human’s or a dog’s life? What’s the benchmark?

A pig's life is just as important as a human's life or a dog's life because pigs have emotions and can feel pain and suffering just like humans and dogs (they are also sentient just like humans and dogs). The same is true for cows, goats, and many other animals.
 
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Zoo50,
I think you are misrepresenting your personal opinions as facts..
Your opinions are yours to have, but believing something doesnt make it a fact.
I see nothing "unethical" about eating meat.
Are bears unethical?
Are cats unethical? Dogs? Fish?
They all eat meat. Some, solely eat meat.
Too much of a double standard there, and it makes no sense to me to proclaim "only humans are bad for eating other creatures".

And as for health, Im not going to do your homework for you, but if you take the time to research the science on your own, in an unbiased and non cherry picked manner, you will see that many scientists would not agreee with the vegetarian rhetoric of "eating meat is unhealthy".
 
Well I don't think you need a reason to be a Vegetarian as I see so many trying to explain their reason. If you are you are, if you're not then you're not. There is no right or wrong - there is only what is right for you.
 
Well I don't think you need a reason to be a Vegetarian as I see so many trying to explain their reason. If you are you are, if you're not then you're not. There is no right or wrong - there is only what is right for you.
That I can agree with...
Its up to the individual.
Its your body and your choice, no need to justify for anybody.
But since we are having a peacable discussion on it..
I think what gets to me is that so many veggers end up with a bit of a moral superiority attitude about their personal choices..
At least in my experience as a member of said community.
Theyre frequently uninterested in any science that doesnt cater to their opinion and unwilling to hear opposing facts or arguements, but spread their own info as unchallenged fact.
I dont mean to generalize or target anybody with that statement, just simply my general observation.
I dont personally care what people eat.
But so many vegetarians and vegans would if given an opportunity, personally take issue with what I eat.
Which typically creates a little static with me and the veg community.
I am a man of facts, if I am shown an error in my ways I'll gladly change my opinions..
Til then.. We will have different opinions :)
Either way, no stress to me and hopefully not to anyone else.
 
The only problem that I have with Vegans is when they begin to criticize me for my choices. At the same time as they try telling me about the poor animal giving it's life so I can eat a steak I look down to see them wearing a leather belt and then down further to their leather shoes. When I ask about that they tell me that since the animal has given it's life they will try to give it's life more value by not letting the animal's resources go to waste. I have to say WHAT? It is my choice to be an omnivore but I will say that I don't really over do it. I try to eat as healthy as I can and I do think that meat should be in your diet, but I'm not going to go around telling people they are wrong or anything like that if they want to refrain from meat. Meat need not be a daily item in your diet but IMHO I believe it needs to be there once in a while.
The Vegan thing can get into such an argument if we let it. Kind of like religion - AND I don't want you preaching that at me either.
 
Zoo50,
I think you are misrepresenting your personal opinions as facts..
Your opinions are yours to have, but believing something doesnt make it a fact.
I see nothing "unethical" about eating meat.
Are bears unethical?
Are cats unethical? Dogs? Fish?
They all eat meat. Some, solely eat meat.
Too much of a double standard there, and it makes no sense to me to proclaim "only humans are bad for eating other creatures".

And as for health, Im not going to do your homework for you, but if you take the time to research the science on your own, in an unbiased and non cherry picked manner, you will see that many scientists would not agreee with the vegetarian rhetoric of "eating meat is unhealthy".

Bears, dogs, fish, etc. do not understand morality; in other words, they are not aware of concepts such as morality and animal cruelty / suffering. That's why it's not OK for a human to eat meat, but it is OK for a bear to eat meat. In other words, human know better; bears do not.

Quote: "Marshaling the claim that lions and other non-human animals eat meat as a defense of meat-eating among human beings is a classic example of the Naturalistic Fallacy, which is the erroneous assumption that anything that occurs in nature is therefore morally justifiable. This is of course ludicrous." (Quote from veganfuturenow.com/but-lions-eat-meat )

Again, in terms of health, eating vegan is far healthier than eating meat.


The only problem that I have with Vegans is when they begin to criticize me for my choices. At the same time as they try telling me about the poor animal giving it's life so I can eat a steak I look down to see them wearing a leather belt and then down further to their leather shoes. When I ask about that they tell me that since the animal has given it's life they will try to give it's life more value by not letting the animal's resources go to waste. I have to say WHAT? It is my choice to be an omnivore but I will say that I don't really over do it. I try to eat as healthy as I can and I do think that meat should be in your diet, but I'm not going to go around telling people they are wrong or anything like that if they want to refrain from meat. Meat need not be a daily item in your diet but IMHO I believe it needs to be there once in a while.
The Vegan thing can get into such an argument if we let it. Kind of like religion - AND I don't want you preaching that at me either.

True, someone who does not eat meat (claiming to be vegan) but also wears a leather belt is a hypocrite. Remember, being vegan is more than just about what one eats; it's about what one wears, what kinds of soap/shampoo one uses, etc. It basically means "no animal products".

In response to what you said ("I do think that meat should be in your diet"), I disagree. Meat does not need to be in one's diet. People do not need to eat meat. All of the nutrients one gets from meat, one can get from non-meat sources. Eating meat is an unethical decision which contributes to the unethical animal slaughtering industry (which, by the way, tortures and kills billions of animals every year, treating them like objects / crops rather than as beings).
 
Is anyone a vegetarian or vegan? If you are you are, if you're not then you're not. There is no right or wrong - there is only what is right for you.

Zoo50, I'm happy that FOR YOU being Vegan keeps your moral compass from spinning out of control. But you don't have to place the effort into it to stack points on your side of the decision to be a Vegan. There are probably just as many articles and so called scientific studies to say that eating meat has benefits as there are articles and studies that are Pro Vegan. In the end it all boils down to your own personal feelings on it.

But by being Vegan and telling others that they are wrong if they have decided that they are going to consume meat products, and trying to make them out as the bad guy is wrong on the part of the person that has made their choice on the Vegan side of the subject.

Your question in making this thread is alright to ask, but you have to be willing to accept the answer someone might give you, and without criticism.
 

 
Again there is a large number of articles that support you no matter which side of the issue you want to take. AND Again there is no right or wrong if you decide to be a Vegan or not.

Indeed.

I personally don't care what someone else eats, I have thought about what I eat and made my decisions based on my comtemplation. What leads me to making my decisions is usually exploring the data and a lot of thought, as such, someone else should never feel compelled to do as I or anyone else does, they need to weigh and decide for themselves.

As for, ahem, "studies", an article that isn't peer reviewed is essentially an opinion piece and doesn't carry the weight beyond that of mere opinion. Sad as it is, I have on many occasions read an opinion piece which cites some study/research and when I review the actual paper, I find that no, the study doesn't support the claim being made. I have met few people who have changed a long held position based on what an article, or even on what a peer reviewed study has reported. (not to imply that peer review = always 100% true, end of story, but it tends to be a far more reliable)

Ask yourself this question, "What would change your mind?" If the answer is "nothing", what is to be gained in discussing it?
 
I have no problems with anybody eating what they prefer. We are all free to choose..
Its not my business and I dont expect anybody to justify their choices for me.

What irks me is when people have an attitude of superiority over it, despite being unwilling and uninterested in any counter arguements or opposing science..
Thats your choice if thats how you want to live, but lets not sit on a high horse about it.
Either way, yes it appears the discussion has reached its end.
 
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