User:Turquoise 101/vegetarianism 2

Vegetarianism "was endorsed in the United States in 1838 by the American Health Convention. In fact, in 1971 only 1 percent of U.S. citizens described themselves as vegetarians. But vegetarianism became an increasingly attractive and accepted dietary option by the century's end. A 2000 Zogby Poll sponsored by the Vegetarian Resource Group found that 2.5 percent of respondents reported not eating meat, poultry, or fish while 4.5 percent reported not eating meat."

History
"The term vegetarian was coined in 1847, when the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom--the oldest organized vegetarian group in the world--was founded in Ramsgate, Kent." They "chose the word vegetarian for its name because it is derived from the Latin vegetus, which means &#34; lively&#34; or &#34;vigorous,&#34; and because it suggests the English word vegetable . " Despite the fact that humans weren't originally "made" to digest vegetables, according to recent studies, vegetarianism is still rapidly spreading throughout the United States today.

Famous Vegetarians
Even some famous people "including ancient Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato, and Pythagoras, advocated vegetarianism. Other famous vegetarians include Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Leo Tolstoy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Thoreau. This century's celebrated vegetarians include Gandhi, the physician Albert Schweitzer, writer George Bernard Shaw, musician Paul McCartney, and champion triathlete Dave Scott. Albert Einstein, although not a strict vegetarian himself, stated that a vegetarian diet would be an evolutionary step for the human race. "

Interest of Vegetarianism in America
"Several factors contribute to the interest in vegetarianism in America. Outbreaks of food poisoning from meat products, as well as increased concern over the additives in meat such as hormones and antibiotics, have led some people and professionals to question meat's safety. There is also an increased awareness of the questionable treatment of farm animals in factory farming. But the growing health consciousness of Americans is probably the major reason for the surge in interest in vegetarianism. Nutrition experts have built up convincing evidence that there are major problems with the conventional American diet, which is centered around meat products that are high in cholesterol and saturated fat and low in fiber. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which cause 68&#37; of all deaths in America, are all believed to be influenced by this diet. Nutritionists have repeatedly shown in studies that a healthy diet consists of plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, and foods that are high in fiber and low in cholesterol and saturated fat. Vegetarianism, a diet that fulfills all these criteria, has become part of many healthy lifestyles. "

Amount of Children Who are Vegetarians in the United States
"Many children [in the United States] whose parents follow vegetarian diets follow them because of religious, ethical, animal rights, environmental, or other masons." In fact "in the government's first estimate (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-US-count-finds-1-in-200-apf-14028470.html) of how many children avoid meat, the number is about 1 in 200." [Some people] suspect that this is one reason why the most recent poll [that one website took] found that 3 percent of 8- to 18-year-olds [in the United States]are vegetarian. Also, the CDC survey included children age 0 to 17 years. Possibly older children are more likely to follow a vegetarian diet, so differences in ages could explain some of the difference in results between the surveys."