[interbased]

> People on vegetarian diets may be able to maintain “health” because they avoid potential meat-related nutrient deficiencies through one or more of the following ways: 1) Taking meat nutrient replacements to meet essential nutrient needs.

> The underlying reasons may be that meat not only provides energy but also complete nutrients to human body.

It seems that these issues can be addressed by modern vitamins and supplements. I've heard that you can be just as healthy as a vegetarian as long as you're still getting the necessary ones from another source. Another user (zhivota) mentioned the article not accounting for wealth or income, which can certainly limit access to the alternatives.