To ask why people are so against giving up meat?

[NewCracker]

Just that really, why are people so against giving up meat?
Without a doubt we know it's better for the environment, we know it's better for our health, we know it's better for animal welfare and it's actually quite expensive. But still as soon as you mention to the greater public about cutting their meat consumption, they get defensive and almost offended.
Would you ever consider giving it up, if you do consume it now? If not, why not?
I'm expecting some hate, this is MN after all, but I am genuinely just curious. Not trying to rattle feathers.

HadalyEve

I have never been healthier since becoming vegan. Energy levels , inflammation and just general well being.
In my family there was a family of meat eaters, they wouldn't eat anything if meat wasn't on the plate. Both parents and son died of stomach cancer.

It is very concerning. I think a lot of it has to do with large cities. People in large cities tend to compartmentalise “the environment” and “the ecosystem” as something that exists “out there” and separate from humans and would get along better if humans died off or started living in orbital space stations.

Fact is this separation and city building is the cause of most of the damage to the environment. The more humans withdraw from nature, the more damage to do to life on Earth.

Sorry but I’d rather see you link a meta-analysis tracking the health and mortality of hundreds of thousands of people than go by your health vs your next door neighbour’s.

Especially since stomach cancer is usually caused by a virus, not food.

1. I really like meat. (I buy high welfare/organic/best quality meat where at all possible)
2. Soya/ plant based alternatives do a lot of damage to the rainforests, I've given up palm oil rather than meat.
3. If we didn't eat meat, these animals would not exist. The world would not be full of fluffy little lambs/calves/chickens all hopping about for nothing like the vegans of the planet would have you believe!

Because they won't be being abused of course.

None of the animals you eat or assault in order to drink their babies' milk are naturally occurring in their current form. They have all been modified for financial gain.
If you eat animals you abuse them. It's impossible to do it otherwise.
Unfortunately a lot of people have cognitive dissonance.
* ...waits for the 'mmmmm bacon'* posts.

I don’t doubt that, but the OP asked why people are so against giving up meat. In my experience it’s an emotional or practical response more than an intellectual one.

I asked my Dad if he’d go vegetarian or vegan, he didn’t say
“we evolved over millions of years to be apex predators in a complex food chain and our eating some meat is essential to the ecosystem that we inhabit”

He laughed and then started reminiscing about his Mum’s Sunday roast beef.
Most people don’t overly intellectualise it.

why people are so against giving up meat?

It's delicious.

None of the vegetables you eat are naturally occurring in their current form.

I myself quite often have vegetarian meals but enjoy meat based meals as well. My son has Sen needs and has a restrictive diet already so I will not ever take away meat from his diet. On top of that he’s got severe health needs where his body cannot tolerate a lot of vegetables, beans and pulses etc as they leave him in extreme amounts of pain plus he’d lose significant amounts of weight if we take away one of the main ways of getting fats into his diet as he needs a extreme high fat diet due to not absorbing nutrients like most people do. His dietitian would have a heart attack if I even tried it.

^ ...waits for the 'mmmmm bacon' posts*

Just for you, @IRememberWickedWaterWitch 😉

Because without farmed animals, we'd not have shoes or bags. Or feather duvets, or pillows, or down jackets. Or wool anything. We'd have no poo or blood or bone to fertilise crops.

We'd have to rely on petroleum by- products for plastics. Oh wait .....

Most soya grown is fed to animals 🤷‍♀️
If you're worried about the environmental
Impact then sorry your soya argument doesn't fly. Sounds like an excuse you tell yourself in order to carry on abusing animals. And 'higher welfare'? Pull the other one it's got bells on. I'm not sure who you're trying to convince but your argument is bollocks. Regardless how they are kept they end up in the same old slaughterhouse being murdered whilst terrified.

Please explain to me what is the natural form of a pig, cow, or sheep?

Please explain how domestication was done for “financial gain” when it predates the invention of money/finance by a minimum of 8,000yrs?

Domesticated animals depend on us for their survival, please explain how it is to their benefit to push them into likely extinction or a zoo existence?

Please explain how we will replace their function in the crop rotation cycle that replenishes soil and biodiversity essential to growing plant based crops?

Here us a quote for all the anti meat eaters.

"The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive; others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear; others are being slowly devoured from within by rasping parasites; thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst and disease."

The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive; others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear; others are being slowly devoured from within by rasping parasites; thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst and disease.

This number vastly exceeds that of animals on factory farms, in laboratories, or kept as pets. Therefore, all those complaining about meat eaters should consider focusing their efforts to raise concern about the suffering that occurs in the natural environment and use your advance technology and skills to eliminate this injustice then and leave me to enjoy my pork chops 😁

I agree many people don’t think logically and go with their gut.

Doesn't mean we should add to it though surely?

Yep, lots of logic and facts here. Lots of thinking about the science. Not an emotional response with any defensiveness at all.

We aren’t adding to it. Domesticated animals are the most healthy, long lived and populous species on the planet. If we’d left them wild, they’d be suffering much much more.

Add to what, our natural function within the food chain of eating meat, or do you think you can extract yourself from nature and as a creature that inhabits this planet.

We were born with eyes in the front of out heads, we are created as hunters and omnivores (predators). Who am I to argue with my genetic make up.

Because I like it and the amount I eat is not harming me, it's providing protein and other essential nutrients. We try and have a vegetarian and one or two fish based dinners every week though.

Without a doubt we know it's better for the environment, we know it's better for our health, we know it's better for animal welfare and it's actually quite expensive.

Do we?! I used to be vegetarian and then I was diagnosed with MS. I now eat meat as for a while it was the only thing that wouldn't cause my symptoms to flare. Thankfully, I can now have a varied diet but if I start to feel inflamed I immediately go onto AIP. It's annoying as I don't particularly like meat and it was hard to get back into the habit, but my health comes first. We are absolutely designed to eat meat and animal products, it's actually very obvious when you start to do some research. Although some people can cope fine on a vegetarian diet long-term it's not ideal for anyone - especially if you're trying to be environmentally conscious and not import food or grow it using non-environmentally friendly methods. We should however be eating less meat and focussing more on improving all farming standards, both animal and vegetable. We should also be trying to encourage people to eat seasonally and locally rather than importing food from the other side of the world, especially when the production of that food is causing massive harm. Weird that you're asking about meat and not avocado, palm, soy etc 🤔

So used to it from childhood people can't see their life without it.

Soya beans are produced to feed livestock. Amazon rainforest are cut down to grow them. Not for human consumption but factory farmed animals.

and what are we supposed to eat instead? bugs? synthetic meat? and believe its supposed to be better for environment?

Because it tastes good