Nifty

Pass the tofu: 1 in 200 kids is vegetarian: CDC study is government’s first estimate of how many children avoid meat

Actually, the article does a nice job of 1) looking at the various types of vegetarianism and how people define themselves as vegetarian, 2) that it can be nutritionally complete, and 3) that it does not have to be low-fat/low-sugar, hence you can eat a poor vegetarian diet as well as a healthy one.

With the exception of one year where I lapsed into eating poultry, I have eaten only fish, cheese, eggs, and milk in terms of animal products since 1991, when I was 24 years old. My rule of thumb is that I only eat what I can kill...I think that we have in our modern age of refrigerators and supermarkets gotten too far away from where our meat comes from. I don't oppose hunting per se, as long as the meat is being used and the animal isn't being sought just for it's pelt or antlers, although I have greater respect for bow hunting than with guns (although I've read an article about how hunted animals are having to mate earlier and the weaker, smaller ones are actually winning out in evolution over the big and powerful.) That disturbs me. I think we should affect the natural world as little as possible, (although I recognise that man's ability to control his environment has made us the dominant species on the planet), but let's face it, most Americans hunt for enjoyment rather than necessity.) It's the people who never give a second thought to where that burger comes from that bother me, although I don't impose my beliefs on others.

According to the story, children tend to turn vegetarian once they are aware of how animals are killed, as opposed to looking for a healthier diet. YouTube videos of slaughter and animal husbandry conditions may have something to do with the number that have decided to cut out meat from their diets. Whatever the reason, I'm all for it. It takes fewer resources to raise crops rather than livestock and if done right can be healthier than a meat-based diet.