Many non-vegetarians wonder what drives vegetarians to give up meat and adopt an entirely different lifestyle. There is no single answer to this question. Non-vegetarians become vegetarians for a number of different reasons – some even for multiple reasons.

Most vegetarians claim that they became a vegetarian for one of three reasons:

Ethical problems with eating meat. Most disagree with how chickens are de-beaked, forced to live in small cages, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce eggs fast enough. Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and stressful environments animals are forced into; and the hormone-laden feed used to make them grow faster and produce more.

People who become vegetarians for this purpose often draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on their personal beliefs. For instance, some staunch vegans wont consume yeast, wear wool, or even eat certain vegetables, such as carrots, that require killing the plant to harvest.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some vegetarians–sometimes referred to as pseudo-vegetarians–will actually eat fish and chicken on a regular basis.

Conflicts with dietary preferences. Some vegetarians simply do not like the texture and taste of meat; others do not eat it because it is high in cholesterol and often contains high concentrations of hormones and preservatives.

Environmental reasons. This type of vegetarian elects the lifestyle change because they hope that in so doing they can impact the amount of land that is deforested in order for farmers to create grazing land for cattle.