Beginning of Essay
may be many things, but they are not lonely. A Gallup poll conducted in 1985 for American Health magazine found that nearly nine million Americans call themselves . In addition, another 40 million adults are eating less meat and more plant foods than in the past. ....

Middle of Essay
.... stopped eating meat for health reasons, although some have also been influenced by the animal liberation movement, religious beliefs, concerns about world hunger, or an awareness of the environmental damage caused by livestock production. But whatever their motives,one thing is clear: Vegetarianism can no longer be viewed as a fringe phenomenon. The Gallup poll also revealed that nearly three fourths of Americans reject the notion that vegetarianism is merely a passing fad. A look at the historical record reveals that these people are correct. In fact, vegetarianism has a long, although not always illustrious, history in the West. A quick review of t ....