Why are you a vegetarian

[dmpmercury]

I am just curious of why everyone choose to be a vegetarian?

The main reason I am is the environmental impact of the meat industry. It is not sustainable at all. Not eating meat or eating a lot less would have such a huge positive impact on sustaiabilty. The amount of energy, land and water that is wasted to raise animals is absurd. I also do not like the cruelty involved in the meat industry. I terrible how we treat sentient beings. I never get how people are horrified that people eat dogs in other countries when we eat pigs and they are more intelligent than dogs.

I like the health benefits and think humans are meant to be mostly vegetarian like monkeys. I think vegetarians live longer life. I don't think our brains developed from eating meat but rather the tools we used when we started eating meat. I admist this isn't my main reason though. I wouldn't be a vegetarian for health reasons alone especially since the low fat versions are not bad for you. I also don't mind the fact that an animal died more in the way they were treated before hand. I am not against hunting since there is no cruelty or environmental aspects associated with it.

Whhat aboout everyone else?

[EnviroBecca]

The environmental impact of the meat industry.

The inefficiency of feeding grain to animals to make meat instead of feeding the grain to people. ONE-SEVENTH of the world's population does not have enough food.

My digestion is smoother, gums are healthier, menstrual cramps are reduced, and sweat odor is less troublesome when I don't eat meat.

Meats are the riskiest foods in terms of food poisoning and other infections. The sanitary precautions necessary for cooking meat myself are annoying to me, and I worry about trusting restaurants to keep me safe.

[Lydiah]

I have only been a strict vegetarian for a couple months. My first reason was health. I read about Dr.McDougall and I was desparate to get my crohn's under control. My DH finds this diet is good for him too. He has struggled with weight his whole life. He loves that a mostly vegan diet lets him eat as much as he wants without gaining weight. I think its very good for my DD too. I am so lucky she will eat anything. Who knows, maybe it will prevent her from getting crohns someday too.

I guess I like that it gives me a clean conscience. I know that this lifestyle brings less suffering to the planet and that feels good.

[cocoanib]

I love animals and don't want to eat them.
I think the meat industry is cruel and disgusting.
Health reasons.

[caiesmommy]

First reason was health/disgusted by the look/taste/idea of eating meat

Once I looked into it more it became an environmental/ethical reason. I can't justify eating 1lb of meat that could provide someone with up to 16lbs of grain...who am I to believe that thats ok?

[ShadowMoon]

I am first and foremost veggie for ethical reasons. I do not think it is right to take sentient life when I do not need to. Modern animal agriculture is a moral abomination that I will never support, as well as other methods of animal slaughter and exploitation.

The second reason is environmental.

The third is health, for body and spirit.

[summermay]

I love animals.
Animals feel pain, they are the most defensiveless creatures on Earth.

IMA there is no justification that animals need to suffer for taste choices.

[Ianthe]

In order:

The environment
The Ethics of eating animals
Health

[seashells]

I'm flexitarian now, but was vegetarian for 10 years.

My main reason was because I cannot tolerate the living conditions of the animals. I also do not like killing the animals, but to me their lives were even worse than their deaths.

Environmental factors is also a concern to me, but secondary to the above.

Health was never a reason for me. I never believed there were inherent health benefits to being vegetarian. Nor do I believe there are any inherent health benefits to eating meat. I just mean I've seen both good and terrible vegetarian diets, and same with omni diets.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by seashells

I'm flexitarian now, but was vegetarian for 10 years.

My main reason was because I cannot tolerate the living conditions of the animals. I also do not like killing the animals, but to me their lives were even worse than their deaths.

Environmental factors is also a concern to me, but secondary to the above.

Health was never a reason for me. I never believed there were inherent health benefits to being vegetarian. Nor do I believe there are any inherent health benefits to eating meat. I just mean I've seen both good and terrible vegetarian diets, and same with omni diets.

Hi Seashells!
Never heard of this. What do flexi's eat?

[seashells]

Originally Posted by cocoanib

Hi Seashells!
Never heard of this. What do flexi's eat?

I hadn't heard of it either until a couple of weeks ago! A flexitarian describes one of those semi-vegetarians that used to, until the advent of the word, pass themselves off as vegetarians (either out of ignorance or out of a desire to not describe ad nauseum how they are mostly but not totally vegetarian).

In my case, I now limit meat consumption to occasional purchases from my local farm that pastures its animals. This is a veg*n board, so I'm not selling that, maybe I shouldn't have even answered the thread but I found the topic interesting and I was indeed vegetarian for a full decade. I disclosed being flexitarian just for, well, full disclosure.

[fresh_veggie]

I love animals and don't want to eat them.
It's also not nearly as healthy. Read the China Study!
The meat industries (and dairy and eggs!) have a huge negative impact on our environment.
The inefficiency of feeding grain to animals instead of feeding grains to humans who are starving.
The huge political industries are corrupt and all in each other's beds.

[vegemamato]

I am vegan because I do not want to partake in the suffering of another being, or be the cause of cruelty.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by seashells

I hadn't heard of it either until a couple of weeks ago! A flexitarian describes one of those semi-vegetarians that used to, until the advent of the word, pass themselves off as vegetarians (either out of ignorance or out of a desire to not describe ad nauseum how they are mostly but not totally vegetarian).

In my case, I now limit meat consumption to occasional purchases from my local farm that pastures its animals. This is a veg*n board, so I'm not selling that, maybe I shouldn't have even answered the thread but I found the topic interesting and I was indeed vegetarian for a full decade. I disclosed being flexitarian just for, well, full disclosure.

Oh, I see. Thanx Seashells!

[eepster]

I will only eat something I am personally willing to kill.

Yes, I have personally torn those poor carrots up out of the ground with my own hands, and you should see me mowing the grass, it's completely brutal.

[catnip]

Mostly I'm wanting to eat the diet with the lowest possible environmental impact.

I don't particularly like meat. I've always thought eating chunks of dead animal was a pretty gross thing to do, even when I did it anyway.

I've also got a REALLY strong family history of colo-rectal cancer.

[ihugtrees]

Originally Posted by eepster

I will only eat something I am personally willing to kill.

^^This is why I am a vegan.

This, and because until I raise hens myself, and see how they are treated and what they eat, I cannot pardon the horrible lives egg chickens lead. Because as a breastfeeding mother who's experienced thrush, I can't imagine being a dairy cow with mastitis (I saw on Dirty Jobs--someone actually has the job of taking a torch to cow's udders to stop them from bleeding from being milked by the machines.) And because in my own spirit, there is just no excuse for supporting the animal product industry.

[rhubarbarin]

(I saw on Dirty Jobs--someone actually has the job of taking a torch to cow's udders to stop them from bleeding from being milked by the machines.)

Actually, they were just giving them a quick swipe with the flame-thrower to burn off the peach fuzz on their udders which tends to hold bacteria. The cows didn't feel a thing, although some of them were startled by the bright light. Standard procedure. And cows cannot bleed while being milked, it would contaminate the entire supply. They have many safeguards to prevent this.

[jplain]

I Googled. It is called "flame-clipping." I get how it probably isn't inhumane, as long as it is done properly. (Certainly there are other much less humane practices in dairy farming!) But it still makes me cringe. Hey, I wonder if flame-clipping the hair on my legs would be a good substitute for shaving.

I object to the use of the term "peach fuzz" though. Silly rabbit, peach fuzz is for peaches! And there was no peach fuzz in the pictures I saw on websites intended to teach dairy farmers how to flame-clip. Let's avoid cute euphemisms and call it what it is: udder hair.

[ihugtrees]

I caught the show in passing, so maybe should have paid more attention. Flames to nipples just makes me cringe regardless of the reason. I also have read about a certain number of pus cells allowed in the milk, etc, so I would think blood would get in there too.