[critterlover]

It's true that some vegetarians have health problems. One of the common problems is anemia: they don't get enough iron in their diet. That's caused by lack of information, not because they need meat.

roosterboy, I totally agree with you about going free range if you feel you must have meat. I think we as consumers are way too removed from how our food gets to our plates. I wonder how much meat people would really eat if they had to catch it and kill it themselves.

BTW, when you read studies about the 'necessity' of eating meat, be sure to check who sponsored the study. The studies that say eating eggs won't raise your cholestrol are designed and run by the (guess what!) egg producers. The same with dairy. You see commercials on the t.v. all the time suggesting strongly that if you don't drink milk, your bones will turn to mush. Guess who paid for that commercial? Why is it that India has a much lower rate of osteoporosis that in North America and yet we eat way more dairy products than they do? And isn't it interesting that just before Easter, someone always comes out with a study saying chocolate is good for you. Don't believe everything you read or see on t.v.