Comments on: Do You Agree With Me About This?

By: Pvt. Mears

Pvt. Mears — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:01:08 +0000

yeah, Vegetarians are just bad hunters lol, no but you said vegetarians eating eggs? Eggs are baby chickens, meaning your eating an animal, which kind of contradicts the whole vegetarian thing.

By: Julia S

Julia S — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:04:26 +0000

If a teen doesn’t pay attention to what they eat, they’ll have trouble. That goes for Vegetarians, vegans, AND meat-eaters.
It’s a disturbingly common misconception that there is no protein in anything other than that which comes from an animal. Plant foods are PACKED with protein, but also contain valuable fiber. They don’t have the saturated fat and cholesterol that animal products do.
Speaking of which, you are aware of the fact that the vast majority of healthy fats come from plants, and that the fat that comes from animals and animal products (the saturated kind) isn’t very good for us, right?
I would DEFINITELY discourage you from becoming Vegan, as you don’t seem to have a very good understanding of nutrition (or at least, not much of an interest in learning about vegan nutrition). For example, you think that eating meat and other animal products will automatically provide a teen with the nutrients that they need. However, for people who are willing to put in the time and effort, veganism is a perfectly healthy and reasonable decision.

By: Rexxy_<3

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:50:44 +0000

Seriously. I became a Vegan when i was 14, and i never once cared what i ate, the same as when i did eat meat. I just ate junk. But i was still healthy, i had blood tests frequently(for seperate health reasons) and my levels were all so perfectly normal. Fair enough now a days i eat tremendously healthy but my levels are perfectly the same in my blood as they were when i ate crap. It’s not hard to get your daily nutrients, i’m a pretty healthy person and i never had meat or eggs from when i was 11/12. People make a much bigger deal about getting your daily vitamins and what not than what it really is. I never got taught anything about nutrition, i just gradually caught on and i am clearly as healthy as it gets.

By: distanth

distanth — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:36:41 +0000

The problem with your assumption is, that you are basically saying that if a child eats meat than they are knowledgeable about nutrition and getting all the nutrients they need. I don’t know about you, but the majority of kids/teen I know do not eat properly (weather they are vegetarian or eat meat). Most teens overdo junk foods, and meat, and do not get enough whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Should all teens study nutrition? And while we’re at it some adults should as well.
I know that when I was a teen(and was a meat eater), I remember my eating habits to be very poor. I used to skip breakfast(or have a caffeinated soda, to stay awake). I would stop at the school candy vending machine(or the kids selling candy for sports, or other clubs), for lunch I would usually eat hamburger and french fries, and soda. Dinner was usually some sort of fast food. When I was younger the only vegetables I ate were corn and carrots, and the fruits I ate were bananas, or grapes. Unfortunately I don’t think I was the minority when it comes to poor eating habits. My entire junior high school years I ate a double order of fries for lunch(as did the majority of kids).
Not just teens eat improperly, many adults live off of junk foods. How can children be expected to know how to eat properly when the adults in their lives do not. A child needs guidance with proper eating, it does not matter if they eat meat or not. If a child becomes a Vegan then their parents should be making sure that the child is eating properly. Perhaps if parents were more involved with their children these days, there would be no reason to worry about a vegan child getting the right nutrients. When a child becomes veg*n it is still the parents job to make sure they are eating right. Nothing stops parents from getting a few vegan books, surfing the web, and researching with their child. Children/teens do not usually make good choices when it comes to food(lets face it most kids/teen will choose ice cream, or burger and fries, over grilled chicken and mixed vegetables), it is the parents job to make sure their child is eating properly.
EDIT:
There are many vegan foods that contain protein. Most people get too much protein in a day. Too much protein can be a problem also. The truth of the matter is, when a child(meat eater or vegetarian), does not eat properly(as many teens do not), there is potential for issues with health. An improper meat based diet is not safer, than an improper Vegan Diet. Both lack in nutrients.
Teen that live off of chicken nuggets and french fries, or pizza, and soda, are at just as much risk of lacking essential nutrients. Just b/c a child eats meat does not mean they are properly balancing their diet. I personally see a lot of children and teens skipping over fruits, veg, and whole grains(which are also apart of a balanced diet), and consisting on junk foods, and meat.
The problem with allowing kids/teens to figure out their own diet, is they are not going to make proper choices(meat eater or vegan). It is a parents job to educate themselves, and the child and take an active role in making sure their child eats what is needed to stay healthy.

By: exsft

exsft — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:21:04 +0000

I agree with you that merely being “Vegan” is not a guarantee of anything other than the fact the the person eats no meat or animal derived foods. However, what I don’t agree with is the general stereotyping that ALL vegans and veganism itself promotes this level of ignorance.
I’d rather deal (if it came to that) with the individual with his/her own unique problem rather than the group as a whole And I have issues with specific but not all organizations that promote the lifestyle.
Besides, it’s their life, their choice. As long as they let me eat off my plate in peace, I’lll return the favor..
If you are truly concerned that this is “dangerous”trend that can potentially harm children, there are ways to express this concern such as writing your congressman or starting your own petition drive or movement. The level of success (or failure) you will achieve however, is another matter altogether.

By: Yep

Yep — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:09:49 +0000

The facts are what persuades people to go Vegan. The fact that animals are tortured and slaughtered, and that there are many health benefits to be gained from a Vegan Diet. If the minor is serious about a vegan diet, they will realize the importance of nutritional research. They will become aware of their daily requirements and will be healthy. Minors who are not serious about veganism usually dont last that long anyway before returning to meat eating. Usually long term vegans understand the need for a varied diet.
It is great if you can give the information needed for someone to go vegan. You shouldnt just give facts of animal abuse, etc. If someone shows interest in veganism, you should then discuss the need for a varied diet, and the nutritional requirements. That is what is required of you, if you persuade someone to go vegan. Most websites advocating a vegan diet, have this information at hand. So I see no danger in this.
-Vegan

By: lo_mcg

lo_mcg — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:15:13 +0000

As others have said, there’s an implied assumption here that non-Vegan teenagers are knowledgeable about nutrition, or that a diet containing meat is automatically healthy and contains adequate nutrients.
Your average teenager consumes a great deal of junk food, with no consideration given to nutritional requirements. A diet that includes generous amounts of burgers, pizza, milkshakes, chips, crisps and sweets is not a healthy diet.
A teenager turning vegan is actually more likely to try to find out what they should be eating. That’s precisely WHY there are so many questions on here from what you refer to as ‘teen vegan wannabes’ – they are trying to find out what they should be eating and in what quantity, and whether what they are currently eating is enough and is nutritionally sound, and where they can find more information.
Now you don’t get your average teenage junk food addict asking questions like that about their diet.
So… push for better education about health and nutrition in schools for all teenagers – but don’t expect the majority to listen and move away from burgers and fries.
And perhaps educate yourself a little on veganism. You have made some bizarre statements about vegans in the last few days – they are against breastfeeding, they value animal life over human life, they starve their babies, ‘vegan babies’ are smaller than other babies just to name the few I can remember without checking – and it is probably largely your ignorance of veganism that is causing you such concern

By: Care

Care — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:07:37 +0000

I’m glad you were willing to change your opinion. You were a bit of a troll before, but this one is pretty reasonable. Thank you for being willing to not only accept that, but admit it.
Your concern is a valid one. However, from what I’ve seen, teenagers that go Vegan are actually a lot more concerned about their health than people expect them to be. I’ve hung around on a few sites for veggie teenagers. There are plenty of them asking detailed questions, but what’s more impressive is the amount of good, knowledgeable answers from *other teenagers*.
Another thing is that many parents *make* their teens do a ton of research on nutrition, to the point of coming up with meal plans, before they’ll let their kid go vegetarian/vegan. Honestly, if a teenager gets to the point where they are in danger because of their diet, their parents are either going to make them take vitamins, eat better, or eat meat.
A well planned Vegan Diet is healthy for all stages of life, and from what I’ve seen, most of them do research it.

By: Kwixi

Kwixi — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:55:06 +0000

sure.

By: LUPICORN

LUPICORN — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:19:22 +0000

The whole Vegan teenager thing is lame. Red meat is mah treat.