I am a strict vegetarian, and try to avoid all animal products in clothing, health and beauty products etc (but don't claim to be vegan). I am vegetarian, first and foremost, for animal rights reasons. However, after reading "The China Study" I'd say that health reasons are a side benefit for me.

How 'bout you?

Here is a good thread "What type are you?"
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/vege...-type-you.html

My response to that thread is probably a couple years old

I consider myself vegetarian although I'm really vegan in practice although sometimes you'll catch me saying I'm vegan. The China Study and Eat to Live were my initial motivations

Personally, why am I now? Because I love it and it makes sense for me.

Just a Vegetarian(love my cheese). Been one my entire life, parents and bro are veggies too. We are East Indian (hindu) so the cow is sacred but my family (extended included) just never ate meat and it carried onto to and so far to my children (my husband eats meat - at least when we are not in the house).

I started eating locally when I became aware of the environmental impact of shipping food from all over the country (and other countries). To find local, humainly-raised meat is sometimes hard to find. So most of the time, my husband and I just do without. BUT, when we do find a good deal on free-range, organic, local chicken at our farmer's market, we do indulge. :-)

I read a lot of the philosopher, Peter Singer, in college and well, he made sense to me. I know a lot of people disagree with his hardcore writing and ethics, but I think reading him increased my quality of life. I was a vegan for awhile - then got away from veganism as I was only focused on eating for weight loss (indulging in the low carb, meat/cheese heavy lifestyle)- then threw my hands up in the air, entirely unhappy with my life, feeling depressed, and returned to the vegan lifestyle. Actually, the day I did this, an insanely HUGE four story truck filled with beautiful big pink pigs drove by me. The pigs were scared out of their mind. Their little noses were sticking out.... this intensely strong emotional feeling starting stirring inside of me. I realized I couldn't live with myself if I produced the demand for one of these beautiful animals.

The environmental benefits of veganism are also very important, as well as the health benefits. I focus on vegetables, beans, and whole grains. It is a great way to feel full and not gain weight. I find my body has this unhealthy 'addiction' when I eat cheese - I can't stay away from it, I want more and more and I think about eating it constantly. Its best if I just avoid it.

I am a vegetarian, been one my whole life. For some reason I just never liked the flavor of any meat..... but I love cheese!!!!

I like all the reasons for being vegan and think they all turned me into one. Animal rights, when I honestly think about how "meat" is actually a animal that died and lived horribly, I feel disgusted with how we eat it. It's not just how they live horribly though, its that we eat them at all. I believe that we have to desensitize ourselves to the idea of killing animals to eat and even though this might be a stretch for some, I think we are so violent mainly because of this. We don't need animals to live healthy lives, so I think we should move forward and live in peace with them.

Secondly is the environment. By eating vegan you greatly diminish your ecological footprint. Right now the entire ecological footprint for all humans is 1.4, meaning we need almost one and a half Earth's to keep up what we are doing. And its estimated that in only a couple years we will need two Earth's to keep up with us. So I like the idea of saving the only place our entire race and every other species on the planet can live.

Then, there is also all the health benefits. I get lots of fiber, lots of vitamins, I have regular bathroom breaks, I don't eat any cholesterol (my family has a history of bad cholesterol), I am getting less of the pesticides found in our environment by eating lower on the food chain, the fat I am getting is from nuts and avacados and vegetable oils instead of dairy and animal flesh. I read Diet for a New America and if the things in his book are accurate I have less of a chance for cancers and other diseases.

I feel better mentally and feel like I am finally helping Earth and the things on it instead of ignoring it, and I also have more clarity, energy, and happy emotions. I feel great physically and my running has improved. My skin is clearer, my hair looks healthier, and I am more excited about life. I feel like my eyes have been opened.

bonnnie I never heard of peter singer I am definitely going to look him up!

I guess I would be classified as a vegetarian, although the only animal product I eat (and only in very small quantities) is honey. I still have all my leather bags and animal product things from before I made the transition. When people ask, I usually just say "I'm a vegan" because I don't feel like explaining it to everyone. Anyway, I cite my reasons as environmental, and also because I have had a lifelong sensitivity to dairy products that I always chose to ignore. I cut dairy out first and felt better very soon after. Then went red meat, because although I enjoyed steak, it isn't the healthiest option. The last thing to go was white meat chicken and eggs, and I haven't really missed them since. It is crazy how quickly you can get used to eating a wholesome vegan/vegetarian diet. Getting all my nutrients is not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, including protein which was my mother's only concern when I told her about it. That being said, I think it is a very personal choice and I would never force my beliefs on anyone and I don't know to what extremes I will go to in order to ensure everything I eat is perfectly "vegan" if I was at someone's home or something. The environmental reasons are mostly the same as the others stated in this thread. My parents still eat meat, but there is some peace of mind knowing that they nearly always buy local and organic.

What is everyones view on being a vegetarian simply because you do not like meat.....Most ppl think Im all about saving the animals and yes I care about the animals and personally would never kill one but that isnt my passion or reason for being a vegetarian........

i can't really construct a view on something like that. you don't like meat, so you don't eat it. its the same as if someone didn't like brussel sprouts, they wouldn't eat it. or if they hated wearing yellow so they didn't.

See I totally agree with that..... I cant understand why ppl assume I do it because im a vegetarian so there for I must me an animal rights activist..... PPL are so close minded.

they are. there are some people that i dread telling about my eating habits because i know they think all people like that are granola hippy activists who are weak and ridiculously liberal crazy. i hope time will teach them they are wrong, hopefully even i can help destroy that belief with them

Exactly......I dont want to sound like I dont care about the environment or animals I do but its not my priority or my reason why I am a vegetarian.

Just a standard Vegetarian here. Before I ballooned up due to illness and meds and the convenience of fast food and pizza, I was one for almost 15 years. I love animals, have a few of them here at home and I volunteer 2x a month at the local animal shelter and I belong to a movement to cease fairs and carnivals from giving away Iguanas as prizes, however, animals are not my "reason." It's solely due to the health benefits. I feel happier, am healthier, much more energetic and provides less weight issues in the long run.

I am plenty good with some thinking that most/all Vegi's do it for the animals, and I respect the Vegi's that do.

For the meat-chomping-lovers who do not exactly understand the "whys" of it, no matter, it's my body. Mine, mine, mine!

....And I am a long-time conservative Republican.

I'm a vegetarian (vegan on and off) because I'm an animal lover. I try to go vegan sometimes but I have difficulty sticking with it. My motivation for going vegan is because of the animal rights issues at hand as well as the hormones and antibiotics being used on dairy cows, plus there's the connection to veal...

I try, but I love cheese and ice cream, so I give in sometimes.

My best friend had cancer, and had to go vegan for a month before a procedure. Her doctor gave her "The China Study" and she passed it along to me. Fascinating stuff!

Another contributing factor was mercury poisoning. I never had it, but I read an article years ago about it contributing to problems with autism. I don't know if this is true or not, and I don't even have kids, but the idea that what I eat could damage my future children scared me. Again, I have no idea if there's a correlation or not, it just stuck in my head.