I haven't eaten any animal products (meat, eggs, butter, cheese, etc) for about 9 months now. I didn't do it for the sake of the animals. I have no problem with people eating meat, farming it, milking it, or hunting it. Quite frankly, if someone needed my help, I would have no problem strangling the bunny rabbit, skinning it, and skewering it over an open fire. In fact, something about that appeals to my cave-man instincts.
However, since I stopped eating meat, I feel like a million bucks. 20 years younger. You see, for more years than I can count, I felt like garbage most days. Low energy, upset stomach and bloating, trouble sleeping, irritability (like MANY of the people on this forum), weight gain, etc. The worst part was an impending feeling of doom almost every afternoon. Hard to explain how this one feels but I promise you, it sucks. Until this started happening to me, I always thought people who struggled with anxiety and depression just needed to "get over it". I was very wrong. It's paralyzing. You can't do anything about it and you can't control it.
Over the last 10 years, I tried MANY things. I gave up sugar, coffee, and dairy products. I went gluten free for a while. I gave up alcohol. I saw a sleep doctor and did a sleep test (the test came up "normal"). I routinely exercised. NONE OF IT helped. Not one bit.
Then I watched a movie called "Forks over Knives". The movie profiled several people who went vegan. The most compelling scene was one of the people listing all of their health issues prior to going vegan. Almost every health issue was identical to mine. It was creepy.
I have NEVER been interested in vegetables but I figured I'd try it out. The next morning I had a vegan breakfast and lunch and immediately felt better. No stomach pain, no bloating, and no impending feelings of doom. The next day, my energy increased, and I slept great. I haven't looked back. ANYONE going through what they think is just "part of getting" old, should try vegan. It only took a day for me to feel better and I haven't looked back. Remember, nothing tastes as good as feeling good.
Do I preach vegan to everyone? No. The worst part of eating vegan is vegans. Most vegans are self righteous, know-it-all, shit-piles that run their mouth too much. Besides, I don't think everyone needs it. If you feel great and have no health issues, why would you quit eating meat? It tastes great and there are plenty of cows, chickens, and other critters to go around.