Protein is extremely easy to come by for vegetarians, and the fact is, most meat eaters get too MUCH protein, which can be a strain on the kidneys.

While chipper taglines about “cool” are not going to affect any normal teenager, frank discussions about health just might. New findings from the University of Minnesota link teen vegetarians to a less health-conscious lifestyle than that of their carnivorous peers. Presented with a degree of subtlety, the U of M study may just succeed not only as an indicator of larger body-image and confidence problems among teens who choose vegetarianism, but also as a warning shot for young vegetarians. You may think you’re eating healthfully by avoiding meat, but here are some low-protein pitfalls you could face: thin, brittle hair, bad skin, low energy. These are problems teenage girls care about — and they could be massaged neatly into a palatable pro-meat message.