Felicia Anderson, age 13, of Akron, Ohio, for her question:

WHAT IS VEGETARIANISM?

Vegetarianism is the practice of living on a meatless diet. Vegetarians must plan their diets carefully in order to stay healthy.

Vegetables are sources of essential minerals and vitamins and cereals are cheap and readily available sources of energy. But diets that include no animal products may not have enough proteins. Proteins are especially important to growth and the repair of body tissues.

Most vegetarians try to get the proteins they need by eating the seeds of legumes such as beans, peas and peanuts. These foods are rich in proteins.

Vegetarians can also buy specially prepared food supplements to add essential nutrients to their diets.

Most vegetarians consider all animal flesh as meat    including the flesh of fish and fowl. They exclude meat from their diet but eat butter, cheese, eggs and milk.

However, some vegetarians eat only food from plants. They exclude from their diet both meat and animal products.

The term "vegetarianism" came into use in the late 1840s, but the idea of such a diet is actually hundreds of years old. It isn't, as many people believe, a practice of diet that developed in our modern times.

Vegetarians have several reasons for their beliefs. Health is certainly an important reason. Vegetarians often point out that animals raised for meat are subject to disease, and eating the meat of diseased animals can make men ill.

Vegetarians also claim that vegetables, cereal grains and fruits contain all the elements that the body needs to stay healthy. Vegetarians argue also that meat is expensive and that it is more economical to use land for growing plants than for raising animals.

Some people are vegetarians because of religious beliefs or personal moral codes. They believe it is wrong to kill any animal for food.

Nutritionists point out that proteins are absolutely necessary for growth and the repair of body tissue. Corn is a healthful food, but its proteins lack two kinds of amino acids that the body must have. Persons who base their diet on corn may develop a disease called kwashiorkor, which causes swelling and stunted physical and mental development.

Kwashiorkor is most common in children who do not get enough proteins. It is common in many parts of Latin America and Africa. Symptoms of the disease include changes in the color and texture of the hair and skin, swelling of the body and damage to the intestines, liver and pancreas.

The disease generally attacks children and is fatal unless the patients are given proper amounts of protein in their diets.

Most nutritionists agree that vegetarians can maintain proper eating requirements,by paying special attention to the need for protein.