It is true just one person won't make a huge difference but if you multiply this by millions of people who make the choice then the effect becomes much more significant. A classic example of this is illustrated by the amount of heart disease in the USA that meat-eaters suffer from.

Many of today's heart conditions would not be so commonplace if people did not eat so much food with high levels of cholesterol, such as dairy products and eggs. In fact the group Earth Save states that a vegetarian has around 25 percent less chance of a heart attack than someone who consumes meat as part of their diet.

On the other hand the numbers of heart attacks in vegans are an astonishing 10 times less than those of people that eat meat. The health of a persons heart is only one of many areas where being a vegetarian will benefit their overall health.

Normal, everyday food contains a whole host of preservatives (especially common in meat) that has shown links with many types of cancer. Animal feed also contains hormones to make them put weight on faster so vegetarians are not usually exposed to these chemicals which most people consume everyday.

A digestive problem, which many nutritional experts believe to be caused by intolerance to lactose, will also be avoided. The health advantages to becoming a vegetarian are unquestionable but there is also the fact that many animals will not lose their lives to feed you either.

According to veganoutreach.org, the average American consumes 2,714 land animals in their lifetime. It is a sobering thought that a change in diet could literally save hundreds of animals from being slaughtered over the course of a decade alone. Furthermore, by reducing your intake of dairy products and eggs, many hens and cows will have better living conditions.

If you were also to give up dairy products and eggs, many battery hens and cows would not need to be used to feed you. So if you haven't worked it out by now, yes we can all make a difference both individually and collectively which should show why becoming a vegetarian is so important. Many animal lives would be saved and your life would be improved with less chance of you developing cancer or a coronary heart condition.