Persuasive research essay about MEAT vs VEGETABLES

Source

1. Ede, Georgia. "The History of All-Meat Diets - Diagnosis: Diet." DiagnosisDiet. DiagnosisDiet, 06 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 May 2016. *Non-scholarly*

a. Main ideas: The main purpose of the article is to show that a meat-based diet has been present in numerous cultures, ethnicities, and geographical locations throughout a variety of generations. As for an all vegan or vegetarian lifestyle has never been executed from birth to death.

b. Relation to the topic: it gives the explanation of a meat-based diet throughout the description of two meat-consuming ethnicities: the Eskimos (Alaska) and the Masai (Africa). They had a low rate of death despite their meat-based diet.

c. Relation to other sources: It shows that people from different geographical locations in the world were healthier despite their constant consumption of death.

d. New/different information, Weaknesses/strength: This website tries to show the different ethnic groups that throughout history have based their diet on meat. The weakness is that it does not evaluate the subjects narrowly. It only states their diet, not their physical exercise.

2. Forestell, Catherine A. et al. “To Eat or Not To Eat Red Meat: A Closer Look at the Relationship Between Restrained Eating and Vegetarianism in College Females.” Appetite 58.1 (2012): 319-325. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 June 2016. *Scholarly*

a. Main ideas: it compares dietary habits between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

b. Relation to the topic: Different types of vegetarians have different eating patterns

c. Relation to other sources: it shows that we need to have a balanced diet.

d. New/different information: The relation between the different groups of consumption (once consume more vegetables or meat than the other) showed different habits between the participants. However, the weakness is that the study did not have the funds to track the progression of the participants. Another restriction was that it only used females.

3. Bertoia, Monica L., et al. "Changes In Intake Of Fruits And Vegetables And Weight Change In United States Men And Women Followed For Up To 24 Years: Analysis From Three Prospective Cohort Studies." Plos Medicine 12.9 (2015): 1-20. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 June 2016. *Scholarly*

a. Main ideas: it creates a comparison between the vegetables and fruits and their relation between weight gain and weight loss.

b. Relation to the Topic: It shows that some vegetables and fruits will induce in your weight negatively if they are not properly accompanied with a balanced diet.

c. Relation to other sources: it shows that the consumption of a specific food group and the omission of others could end up having a negative effect on the individual that is consuming the grain-based diet.

d. New/different information: they found that “a stronger inverse association between increased intake of higher-fiber, lower-GL vegetables and weight change, consistent with experimental evidence suggesting an influence of these factors on satiety, glucose and insulin responses, fat storage, and energy expenditure.”

4. Tufts University. "Choice of Protein- and Carbohydrate-rich Foods May Have Big Effects on Long-term Weight Gain." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 June 2016. *non-scholarly*

a. Main idea: Small changes in a diet can lead to weight loss

b. Relation to the topic: A balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight.

c. Relation to other sources: some of the main concerns when having meat in their diet is the negative effect it might have on your body. However, there are some nutrients that vegetables lack, but meat has.

d. New/different information: Meats needed to get a balanced diet.

5. Koechlin, Florianne. “The Dignity of Plants.” Plant Signaling & Behavior 4.1 (2009): 78–79. Print. *scholarly*

a. Main idea: Plants might be suffering too. However, we have to compromise and treat them properly, not just stop their consumption.

b. Relation to the topic: Many vegetarians and vegans argue that it is morally incorrect eating plants. However, is it morally correct to eat plants?

c. Relation to other sources: humans are omnivorous. Plants, as well as animals, deserve respect towards their dignity. If we were to say that animals feel, there is no study that says plants do not feel. Hence, to not be hypocrites, we should not eat plants. However, what are we going to eat?

d. New/different information: plants have a dignity that is valid.

6. "Certified Humane - A Project of Humane Farm Animal Care." Certified Humane. N.p., 2016. Web. 8 June 2016. *Non-scholarly*

a. Main idea: A non-profit organization that kills an animal in a human way.

b. Relation to the topic: One of the reasons why they see animal killing as morally incorrect is that of the way animals are treated. However, there are choices animals are killed in a humane way.

c. Relation to other sources: It tackles the argument of morality.

d. New/different information: we need certain nutrients in our diet. A more humane treatment of the animal has a positive effect on the meat because the animal’s death is peaceful and not agitated like in regular slaughterhouses the taste of the meat is fresher. If we stop eating animals, overall, we could have an overpopulated planet.

7. Ede, Georgia, MD. “Who Says Meat Causes Cancer?” DiagnosisDiet. N.p., 11 May 2016. Web. 20 May 2016. *Non-scholarly*

a. Main idea: There is no evidence meat causes cancer, amongst other diseases.

b. Relation to the topic: there are some superstitions about meat that are wrongly influencing the population.

c. Relation to other sources: There is a misconception about the consumption of meat in our diets.

d. New/different information: The website tries to give information on different trials in which a biased attitude was continuous.

8. Wahlquist, Asa. "Would Eating Less Meat Save The Planet?" Geodate 26.1 (2013): 7-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 June 2016. *scholarly*

a. Main idea: eating less meat might decrease the amount of methane, but it might increase the cropping land and irrigation water needed.

b. Relation to the topic: The article tries to tackle the possibility of only eating crops. It is hard to think it might work because the amount of land we have for crops is limited. Also, there is a biological cycle that animals play. Overpopulation of the animals might infer with this delicate cycle.

c. Relation to other sources: It is a possibility to get the nutrients meat lack, but you have to consume pills or tofu, and they have some non-natural ingredients.

d. New/different information: It all has to do with a series of trade-off that might result in more damage than good. Also, vegetables require a certain amount of pesticides.

9. Backer, Charlotte J.s. De, and Liselot Hudders. "Meat Morals: Relationship between Meat Consumption Consumer Attitudes towards Human and Animal Welfare and Moral Behavior." Meat Science 99 (2015): 68-74. ScienceDirect. Web. 12 June 2016.

a. Main idea: the study tries to look at the profile of a vegetarian, a flexitarian, and a meat-eater to observe their attitudes towards the topic of a meat-eating diet.

b. Relation to the topic: it gives a broader understanding of the reasons behind each group’s decision.

c. Relation to other sources: the source helps determine a relation between the different personas.

d. New/different information: The different things that influenced the decision.

10. Acevedo, Laura. "Reactions to Facts about the Industry from a Vegetarian and a Meat-eater." Personal interview. 14 June 2016.

a. I would be asking questions to my friends, one vegetarian, and one meat-eater, to get a better understanding of their decision. As well as, finding what made them decide on the issue, and if I would be able to persuade them with facts to question their beliefs.