Going Vegan: EHS Students Share Their Thoughts About Meat

Less than four percent of U.S adults follow a vegetarian-based diet. And only one out of every two hundred Americans are vegan, meaning that they consume no animal products at all. This includes not just meat, but also cheese, eggs, and milk. America’s obsession with meat translates to over 56 billion farmed animals being killed each year, all for human consumption.

Junior Itzebel Burrgoa is one of those people who likes to eat meat. She says “I eat meat because not only does it taste good, but it also has a whole bunch of nutrients and good things your body needs.”

Research shows that’s it not all good things, however. Meat is linked to many deadly health concerns such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and harmful cholesterol. Consuming meat can also cause acne and erectile dysfunction.

Senior Amira Tate doesn’t eat meat. She says “I don’t like dead animals. Plus, they put a bunch of steroids in them to make them big. Overall, it’s just good for the earth not to eat it.”

Steroids like the one Amira describes have been put in food-producing animals since the 1950s. The FDA has approved a number of steroid hormone drugs, which are being used in beef cattle and sheep. In fact, 22% of dairy cows are given growth hormones to increase dairy production. These steroids help produce more milk, but many question their safety, for both cows and humans.

Emma Collins has been vegan for 7 years. “I don’t consume any animal products,” she says. “You’re the only person who cares what you put into your body. I’m not going to let someone kill a living thing just for my consumption. I’m just not.”