Question

Why is vegetarianism a more energy intensive process (from the organism's standpoint) then being omnivorous? (Don't even think of stating anything about fiber or any of its synonyms!!!!)

Answer 1

Taking vegetables or plants as food is more efficient than taking animals as food interms of saving enery. Those who takes plants as food, lesser amount of energy of the plant contained wastes. It is seen that the animals who eats plants stored energy inside them, but when those animals were taken as food by the next higher trophic levels of food chain, only 10% (roughly) of the energy of the plants (eaten by animals) are transfered to their body. Now human beings are placed on the top of the food chain. When they eat those herbivores as food, approximately 10% of energy of the plants reaches to their body. It means human being needs to eat almost 10 times more plants as mass required to support them compare to the herbivors. This estimation is not quantitative, just a riugh estimate. But for the energy intensive process it is much better to be vegeterian compared to omnivorous.