Sarah’s comment above is spot on – it’s certainly not medically proven that a vegetarian diet is always healthier. It depends on everything else you eat – the meat is not the deciding factor.

And really what I think the United States needs is universal health care so arguing that health insurance companies should be even more punitive than they already are seems to be a step in the wrong direction. In the UK smokers get the same access to free treatment on the National Health Service as everyone else but this is partially funded by the high taxes they pay when they buy a packet of cigarettes.