Setting aside any ecological/moral argument, this kind of diet is high in class-2 carcinogens implicated in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

What did your vegetarian diet look like?

Sorry for late reply. You'll find very low cancer rates in cultures that eat predominately meat -- of course they also tend to hunt and are therefore more active, get more sun, live less stressful lives, etc. Combining a high animal diet with processed food seems to be much worse than just a high animal diet. My vegetarian diet was mostly vegetables and minimal processed food, besides faux meat when trying to socialize. I tried going vegan for a year and had so much brain fog that I can barely remember anything that happened. I was eating a lot of home-made cheese, salads, raw foods, and supplementing with B-12 and lots of pea protein. Now I eat high protein, mostly animal, work out, and intermittently fast. I find it works for me. I will keep an eye out on cancer but my vitals are very good and I don't yet see much research on my particular niche diet.

I'd be very interested in reading more about high-meat countries having lower cancer. That contradicts my current understanding, but I'd definitely be willing to revise my position if it turns out meat isn't involved in colorectal cancer.

It's interesting to me that you had such problems on plant-based diets if you were eating balanced meals. I wonder what nutrient you could've been missing? Thanks for sharing your personal experience, though!

(Also, not to steal your line, but sorry for the late reply.)