Meat The Parents - They're Veggies, Y'Know

Thread, Ltd. (New Zealand)

Here's another pro-veg article. Not exactly The Wall Street Journal, but it's always nice to see positive press for vegetarianism, especially those that normalize the choice:

So why should you banish the burgers and chuck in the chicken in favour of a greener diet? Well, it's widely agreed that vegetarians are motivated by three key factors:

1. A respect for animals - Many believe that inflicting pain upon our fellow creatures, purely for our consumption, is an unnecessary evil.

2. Environmental awareness - Many see meat consumption as one reason for our rapidly deteriorating planet, as pollution, global warming and deforestation are directly linked to livestock farming.

3. Health issues - It has been proven that a meat-free diet has significant health benefits, particularly in combatting many of the problems plaguing Britain's population today. These include obesity, breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease, the latter being the sole biggest killer in the modern world, despite it being unheard of before this century. I suppose that's the price we pay for 10ft high yellow 'M's greeting us in every town centre, along with the 21st century monstrosity that is the 'Family Feast' KFC bucket.

Add to this that vegetarian food is packed with important protective antioxidants, including the beta-carotene form of vitamins A, C and E, along with a high-fibre content, it's no wonder that so many of us are moving away from meat. It could, in fact, save your life.

When's the last time you read a style/fashion piece that whole-heartedly endorsed vegetarianism?

On an entirely unrelated note, I watched Scotland, Pa. tonight, which -- despite being only sporadically funny -- was enjoyable to watch if for no other reason than Christopher Walken's character was a vegetarian out to solve a murder committed by a meat-eating hunter who killed his boss and took over his burger joint to turn it into a McDonald's-type restaurant. I won't tell you how it ends, but the last scene is pretty funny, despite what it says about vegetarian food.