Should the government promote and reward vegetarianism as a way of combating global warming and obesity?

Transcription

1 Should the government promote and reward vegetarianism as a way of combating global warming and obesity? Tara Benhudjiriras Michael Diaz Daphine Ng Ryan Scott Hue Truong

2 PRO: Vegetarianism and Health Side Effects of Obesity Hypertension Osteoarthritis Type 2 Diabetes Coronary Heart Disease Stroke Gallbladder Disease Sleep Apnea Respiratory problems Breast and Colon Cancer Obesity and Prevention Source: Center for Disease Control

3 PRO: Vegetarianism and Obesity The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer and that vegetarians are less likely than meat eaters to be obese. Journal of the American Dietetic Association Properly planned lacto- and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets can conform to official dietary recommendations, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Food Guide Pyramid, and the Recommended Dietary Allowances. - American Council on Science and Health.

4 PRO: Vegetarianism and Obesity Obesity has direct and indirect costs for the person and society. Direct: Preventative, Diagnostic and Treatment Indirect: Morbidity and Mortality Morbidity: Value of income lost from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism and bed days Mortality: Value of future income lost by premature death. Between 51.5 and 78.5 billion was spent on overweight and obese people between : Medicare: billion Medicaid: billion Private: billion Out-of-Pocket: billion - HealthAffairs.org

5 PRO: Vegetarianism and In a 1996 Study: Obesity 20,000 people consisting of both men and women. People were divided into Meat Eaters, Omnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans. Vegetarians and Vegans were found to have a considerably lower Body Mass Index(BMI) compared to Meat Eaters and Omnivores. Medicine - British Journal of Researchers from Harvard Medical School examined records from The Nurses' Health Study -- which includes data on more than 90,000 women who were questioned on their dietary habits in 1991, 1995 and and found that red meat consumption is linked with a higher risk of breast cancer. Study - Harvard Medical School

6 PRO: Vegetarianism and Obesity Viable Options for Government Promotion Vegetarian Food Stamp Program. Vegetarian Food Days in Public School. Advertisement of Advantages of Vegetarian lifestyle. Vegetarian Diet Education

7 PRO: Global Warming Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are the number one cause of Global Warming Methane emissions cause nearly half of the planet s human-induced warming. The number one source of methane worldwide is Animal Agriculture (producing more than 100 million tons of methane a year). In a 2006 U.N. report Raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past fifty years, with no reduction in sight.

8 PRO: Global Warming Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are the number one cause of Global Warming Methane emissions cause nearly half of the planet s human-induced warming. The number one source of methane worldwide is Animal Agriculture (producing more than 100 million tons of methane a year). In a 2006 U.N. report Raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past fifty years, with no reduction in sight.

9 PRO: Global Warming Fossil Fuel More that 1/3 of all fossil fuels (oil and gasoline) produced in the United States go towards animal agriculture. Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times fossil fuel input - releasing more than 10 times as much carbon dioxide - than does a calorie of plant protein. Sourced: David Pimentel and Marcia Pimentel, Sustainability of Meat-Based and Plant-Based Diets and the Environment, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 78.3 (2003)

10 PRO: Global Warming Fossil Fuel Continued Driving a hybrid car rather than an average vehicle would conserve a little over one ton of carbon dioxide per year. According to research by the University of Chicago, if you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon each year. The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976 gave the US Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility to research and develop electric and hybrid vehicles. Sourced: TIME Magazine, April 2007.

11 PRO: Global Warming Forest & Rainforest Depletion The United States imports roughly 200 million pounds of beef from Central America every year. The answer: from clear-cutting forests and rainforest For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. In the United States, more than 260 million acres of forest have been clearcut for animal agriculture. Sourced: Earth Talk, "The Environmental Beef With Meat," The Bay Weekly, 6 Jan

12 PRO: Global Warming Water Pollution Animal Agriculture requires enormous quantities of water. Raising animals for food is a waterpolluting process In the U.S. Senate researchers report, animals in U.S. produce 86,000 lbs of excrement per second, 130 times more than the amount excrement that entire human population of the U.S. produces. It is contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, toxic chemicals, and other harmful substances. According to EPA, the runoff from factory farms pollutes our rivers and lakes more than all other industrial sources combined.

13 Alternatives to Combating Global Warming Change a light Heat and cool smartly Reduce, reuse, recycle Use water efficiently Tax credits for going green Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

14 Components Contributing to Obesity Other Than Diet Energy imbalance -where fat it stored and how genes control the processes Environmental factors -maternal diabetes, maternal smoking -medication: drug-induced weight gain -portion size -smoking -viruses

15 Government Failure to Control Obesity In 2004 implemented calories count Focused on behavior changes but failed to address the entire issues A bad diet and no exercise is only one cause of obesity Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

16 Well Balanced Diet Meat is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture QuickTime and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture. Source: USDA

17 Well Balanced Diet cont. Vegetarian diets are low in calcium, protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B12, which are all essential for a well-balanced diet Iron and vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarian diets Benefits of eating meat Source: Harvard Medical School Health Publications

18 The Dangers of Soy Soy intake may increase kidney stones Increase requirements for vitamin B12, and creates vitamin B12 deficiency Increase risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women Source: Pennstate College of Agricultural Sciences

19 Conflicts in Rewarding Vegetarianism Clashes with religious beliefs Hurting the meat industry Job losses Source: Animal Freedom

20 Continuing Retail equivalent value of U.S. beef industry:? Total U.S. beef consumption: 2002: $60 billion? 2002: 27.9 billion pounds? 2003: $63 billion? 2003: 27.0 billion pounds? 2004: $70 billion? 2004: 27.8 billion pounds? 2005: $71 billion? 2005: 27.8 billion pounds 2006: $71 billion? 2006: 28.0 billion pounds Source: United States Department of Agriculture

21 Continuing Personal taste and preference Health Source: FAO Corporate Document Repository

22 Solutions Reward and promoting physical activities Requiring fast food restaurants to have nutrition facts Source: Buzzle