College Times

Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Photos.com

What could make 367,000 young people across America turn away from their long-held beliefs about food and embark on a brand new lifestyle? Let me tell you: The internet!

Instead of dealing with the normal stressors of young adulthood by pigging out on burgers and milkshakes, a new study says that teenagers and young adults are turning their backs on beef and going to fruits and veggies to allay their fears and calm their minds.

You can blame the World Wide Web, if you're looking to someone to blame. The proliferation of the internet is largely thought of as the number one reason for this lifestyle change among the youth of America. Whether your viewpoint is that the internet has helped, or hindered is sort of irrelevant because either way, the popularity of vegetarianism is rapidly growing.

YouTube's status and the ability to search with ease have both made people more aware about what goes on inside slaughterhouses and farms. Because of this, many young people have changed their minds when it comes to meat.

The newest statistic from the Centers of Disease Control, based on data gathered in 2007, is that 1 in 200 young people now identify with the vegetarian lifestyle.

The study also said that young people who have more control over what they eat, like college students and young adults just entering the work force, are probably four to six times more likely to become vegetarian, when compared to previously known statistics.

Outlined in the research are reasons why someone would choose to become veg. Some who took part in the research said it was because they felt like their ethics conflicted with their lifestyle and love of animals. Some said it was mainly for health reasons. Some said it was a mixture of the two.

As far as a reason why I chose to become veg, well, I was a damned picky eater when I was younger. My mom would sometimes even try to trick me into eating things I knew I disliked by telling me they were something she knew I liked. As an aside, Mom, if you're reading this, revenge is sweet, let me tell you.

Anyway, not eating meat has been a lifestyle for me for about nine years. I haven't really received that much flack for it, probably because I don't really make a big deal out of it in the first place. It just is what it is.

Just don't let the internet tell you that becoming vegetarian will make you slim and skinny. If you do it right, you will probably lose some weight because you're mostly eating things that grow in the ground. But, keep in mind that there's still the possibility for you to gain the freshman 15, the senior 15 or the anytime 15. Pizza, doughnuts and soda are all vegetarian and all deliciously and dangerously fattening.

So go veg if you want to, but beware, because the internet may just whisper in your ear something that may lead you down an untraveled path.

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