5 Reasons Why People Become Vegetarians and Vegans

Many people become vegetarians and vegans. Their reasons for this lifestyle choice can be economics, religion, health, compassion for animals, belief in non-violence, concern over animal rights, or concern for the environment. Vegetarians say, "Choosing vegetarian foods is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, the environment, and for animals." But it is hard to be vegetarian where eating meat is popular by tradition, habit and culture. Only a small minority said they were vegetarians, just 3% of the people in the United States.

• Economics 
• For much of the world, people become vegetarian as a matter of economics. Meat costs a lot more than beans or rice, so meat is served only on special occasions. Even where meat is plentiful, it's still used in moderation, often providing a side note to a meal rather than taking center stage.
• Environment
•  People become vegetarian because it is good for the environment. In a crowded world, raising animals for food use more resources, water, feed and land than plant farming does. According to the United Nations, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide, to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity.
• Religion
•  People become vegetarian as a matter of religion. Traditionally many Hindus, Buddhist monks, Seventh-day Adventists, Rastafarians, Hare Krishnas, and most Chinese Buddhists do not eat meat. Other religions practice fasting and avoid meat during specified times such as Lent, Yom Kippur and Ramadan.
• Animal Rights and Ethical Concerns 
• People become vegetarians to support animal rights. They reject violence and the killing of living creatures. Industrial-scale animal farming and slaughterhouse practices cause animal suffering and disease. For some vegetarians, beef, fowl and fish are four-letter words.
• Health
•  People become vegetarians for better health. Studies show that a vegetarian diet extends your life expectancy by several years. The China Project, in conjunction with Cornell University, studied 880 million people over 20 years. It found that a diet with less meat reduced heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, the major causes of mortality in the Western world.