The people that try to convince you that eating fried foods is bad for you and will lead to an early death? The really wacky ones try to tell you eating meat isn't good. Do you despise these self-righteous freaks or what? You know what I mean, the vegans, the scientists, the vegetarians who all think that living longer means living well too?\n\nMy grandpa smoked, drank and ate whatever he wanted, and he's in his mid-90's, living well. I don't really buy what the food nuts say.
211210
I think everybody's body is different. Some people who drink, smoke and never exercise live to be 100. Other people who are very health conscious drop dead at 45 from a pulmonary embolism. It certainly can't hurt to eat healthy though. Most people's body's can't handle the abuse of trans fats and tobacco for very long before they start having health problems. People like your grandfather are few and far between.\n\nIn answer to your question about whether or not I hate the self-righeous bastards who preach about eating healthy, yes I do. I can barely get the food in my mouth before my fiance is telling me how bad it is for me. I do try to live a healthy lifestyle, but every once in a while you want to eat a ton of fried food or ice cream or whatever it is you're craving. It's not gonna kill you. It's not something you can do every day, but people are just way too uptight about it.
504497
Definately a Vegetarian... since June [2006]\n\n\nYou people disgust me, and it's pretty annoying when you say you'd die without meat.
528586
I did participate in your survey about McDonald's and it' so-called healthy foods.\n\nThe author of "Omnivore's Dilemma" wrote about a family meal at McDonald's. He had a cheeseburger, fries and a milk shake. His son had Chicken McNuggets and a soda. His wife had the Cobb Salad with Paul Newman dressing. \n\nDo you know what the least unhealthy item was?\n\nIt was the fries [fried potatoes].\n\nWe are captive to a heavily subsidized farming industry that is dumping high fructose corn syrup and GMOs into almost everything we eat.\n\nI don't blame McDs for using the cheapest ingredients available - i do blame the US Dept of Agriculture, the Dept of Commerce, and the Senators and Reps who have sold out to the massive farming corporations such as Carghill, ADM, and ConAgra.
139722
Part of what makes us, as humans, special, is our ability to do things that aren't "natural." \n\nThere's this weird thing going on where people try to argue that because something is natural, it is good, and if something is unnatural, it is bad. If man-made inventions, ideas, and customs are bad, which by that definition they would be, since they are unnatural, then turn off your computer, your television, and your fridge, and disregard any culture. Only eat, screw, sleep, and survive, since these are the only things that are "natural," if you are making this argument and don't want to be hypocritical.\n\nOh, and you have it the wrong way around on one of your points. Should vegetarians allow meat eaters to continue eating meat, should be the question. And the answer is no, but that's another issue.\n\nAnd you suck Mainworry, for making me scroll past that ridiculous chunk of nonsense.
371154
Interesting question - I'm glad you are thinking about morality and I would like to hear what the anti-fur people have to say about this. If they're not vegetarians, I'd like to hear why they treat some animals (their pets) extremely well while eating others. And why don't the anti-fur people complain about wearing leather? And why aren't they saying anything about the millions of modern day human slaves? I think it is important to have a consistent and logical justification for my own actions!\n\nI believe that *IF* the animals are treated humanely, there is no difference between eating them and wearing their fur. Remember that fur is a renewable resource, but synthetic fur comes from oil, a limited resource.\n\nNot all furs are harvested inhumanely, but the grisly image of clubbing seals and trapping beavers overpowers reality. So anyone who treat their animals well don't necessarily get the credit they're due. Sad that appearances often play a bigger role than facts when making decisions.\n\nIt would probably be more productive if the anti-fur people created a reporting scheme to give credit to those who treat animals well and somehow gave a seal of approval to them. I think most of my countrymen would rather purchase fur products from this type of source than people who maltreat animals.\n\nRegarding your point on the the nutrients in meat, it is possible to be a healthy vegetarian, except that even vegans need vitamin B-12, which only comes from animal sources. And it is almost impossible to avoid eating insect parts in grains, so there is really no such thing as a human who has never eaten animals.
306992
I am a full vegan! That means I don't eat anything even made from animals including dairy and eggs. All I eat is fruit, vegetables, and nuts. I love em!!!! I even eat raw asparagus for a bedtime snack. :) I do it because it is what works best with my body. Vegetables keep my digestive tract moving quickly and my metabolism fast. I have never had a weight problem! I never feel heavy or bloated after a big meal and I know that I am at a low risk for things like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer because of my diet. So you ask why eat veggies, I ask why not?
54008
Can you see the problem our society has. We are so afraid of fruits and vegetables but have no problem grabbing the chips and dip with a few beers.\n\nGood question but come on. Eat them bannanas.
22384
Wow, even within these responses you can see the hatred.\n\n1) Not all obesity is because of slothfullness and laziness. A majority of severely obese people do have poor eating habits but also underlying medical conditions that slow metabollism, alter brain chemistry, or other chemical imbalance. Often, merely reducing calories is not enough for these people. Even on a 1000 calorie diet, some people will continue to gain weight. I do not think they should be called slothfull.\n\n2) Many overweight people do not eat more than everyone else, they eat the WRONG foods. In a few studies they showed the calori consumption was within 5% of a normal BMI individual but the food choices were less healthy.\n\n2a) It has been shown that variations in genetics predispose people to like certain tastes, textures and foods. If you look at point #2 and this, the less healthy choices are not always a matter of choice, but dictated by a biological drive.\n\nThat said, it is not acepted in this nation at all. At one time, 'Rubenesque' women were the equivilent of sex symbols. Having some flesh on the bone connoted wealth and prosperity. Now, being skinny is paramount. Even those who are fit and healthy have less status than the uber skinny.\n\nBeing overweight does have negative imapcts. It is not healthy. It places a strain on your heart and circulatory system, your joints, and can lead to diabtes.\n\nOften overweight people earn less than their skinny counterparts, and chosen less often for jobs, and as leaders.  Sad but true.\n\nMost people are shallow and superficial and only look for the supermodel look. Funny thing, in America the overweight will soon outnumber the skinny.
449297
Foremost, quote the book and scripture from which you are referring.  There are a myraid of things that may be wrong with your argument that may not come to light unless you are honest in asking a question.  Honesty in asking includes citing your source.\n\nSecondly, this was a question proposed by Saint Augustine during the Fall of the Roman Empire.\n\nThe real question is - "So, we know the right way to live.  Great!  Why don't we do it?"\n\nThe answer is that we still have sin on our souls.  As sinners, we are given over to minor bouts of gluttony where we wish to eat things that taste good rather that what is best for our body.\n\nIt is not easy for anyone, let alone the whole of the Christain world (read Western Society), to break completely from this sin.\n\nIf you are so enlightened as to what Christains should eat, tell me, how do you purge your soul of minor bouts of gluttony?\n\nIt seems you ask your questions more to discredit Christains than to help them.
178628
I completely agree, I may not have said it like that, but I do agree. My husband and I have talked several times about how you don't see elderly obese people. I used to work in a retirement facility. In the building I worked in we had 50 residents. 1 was overweight. She was also one of the youngest people living there. You don't see them because they don't live that long! \n\nI don't know why people can't see that allowing yourself to become incredibly overweight is what is causing their health problems. I can name four people off hand in my extended family that are severely overweight. Among those four they share kidney disfunction, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and asthma.\n\nYeah, being overweight doesn't cause health problems...right!\n\nAnd in response to the person who said fatness is a disease...NO IT'S NOT! That's an excuse! Being overweight is a disorder called "Eating too much and not exercising".
651297
Nutrisystem food sucks!!! And I was always starving to death!\nThe serving size is soooooo tiny! And I know that it is the best way to lose weight. But get real!! One of the cereal packets had 1/2 cup of cereal in it. And nearly every thing has beans in it. One of the dinners I ate the beans were stil crunchy! The deserts I got were mostly soy chips or nasty pretzels.\nJust not my idea of a diet that I could stick to.
141193
They don't have to eat it!!....j/k\nSeriously, it's the principle of defending your ideals. That's why they always refer to those individuals as "infidels", the are seen as a threat to their belief system.\nAlways keep in mind that, unfortunately, people use religion and interpret those beliefs in a manner that justify their actions.
474050
What many of us old folks figured out about 40 years ago is that the so-called survivors will only have a short while to live. The way the upper level winds circulate will cause the entire planet to move into an extended winter that will not allow plants to grow. Food will run out and when the last Guy gets done eating his last neighbor he will starve to death.\n\nThat's why we stopped wondering about things like you are asking and tried to make people see that hate and conflict are not the answer to anything. Your welcome to join us.\n\nLove and blessings Don
13351
I totally agree with you, I think that's a really good point. Unfortunately, I can't say without being a bit of a hypocrite because I eat fish, shellfish, eggs and other stuff. I think that's an aim to have in your life, but I don't know if I'll ever get there. I don't think about it much, I stopped eating meat and I feel fine and dandy that way, but I do miss fish when I spend a lot of time without eating it. Everybody is different and we should respect one another, but I agree that's the way to go.
93950
Jerry, you raise an interesting question.  How can we justify consuming so much? We don't.  We don't like to "think" about it usually.  Just a few days ago, I wrote a study that for a cow to produce 1 lb. of meat, it must consume 6 lbs. of grain.  But instead of consuming 6 pounds of grain, we go for 1 lb of meat.\n\nSuch as the conditions are, should we be allowed to exist?  From a religious perspective yes.  God made us and he provided the things for us; thus, they ought to be consumed.\n\nNow the problem arises when don't have such an egoistical point of view.  Dostoevsky once said that the only question worth answering is if we should commit suicide.  Is life worth living?  Yes, but we must return some of what we consume.  We can only justify living if we are truly alive and not just existing.\n\nIn my opinion, living is what makes the difference.
37538
I just became vegetarian recently, for health reasons.  I am in good health anyway, but I learned that vegetarians are 50% less likely to die of cancer than meat-eaters.  And that's just scratching the surface.  Vegetarians greatly reduce their risk of getting all sorts of diseases that meat-eaters commonly get such as heart disease, or having a stroke and it even lowers your blood pressure. A vegetarian diet makes your body feel better!
482873
You simply let them live their life and die. Most people do not wish to tolerate the healthy lifestyle that being average weight entails. It'll hurt their egos and make them feel bad about themselves when they cannot give up their food addictions. If you think they can, try to help them, but mostly likely you should let them live and die in their current state, apparently it was their path to take in this life.