Vegetarianism is rapidly becoming a new food culture world over. People are turning vegans or vegetarians for a variety of reasons. Some people choose to become or vegetarians on health grounds. Meat and dairy products are high in fats and cholesterol. By excluding these foods from the diet, people tend to lose weight and stay fit faster and for a longer period of time. Meat based diet does not have adequate fiber and hence is associated with many health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, hypertension, etc. Turning to vegetarian diet helps people counter or control these diseases effectively.
Some people quit meat eating on ethical grounds. Charles Darwin had given the theory that all spinal animals feel the same pain as we the human beings, when hurt physically. Many people choose to become vegetarian on the grounds that human beings share the relationship of pain with other animals and for our carnal pleasures other animals should not be butchered.
Some other people turn vegetarian for the sake of environment. Environmentalists have estimated that raising livestock requires huge amounts of water and other natural resources. These natural resources can be used effectively for better purposes. Besides, livestock raised for consumption is said to produce large amounts of a greenhouse gas called Methane which leads to global warming. Hence many people choose to turn vegetarian to do their bit for protecting environment.
Other people turn vegetarian on the moral ground because they believe that the grain fed to cattle can instead be fed to hungry people. Thus there are many reasons behind this changing trend across the world.
