Why do so many people call themselves vegetarian but still eat fish?

Question

Fish do not grow on trees, they are animals that live in the sea. They are meat. Vegetarians don't eat meat. People that eat fish and call themselves vegetarians, have you done any research, don't you realise that fish are animals?

Answer 1

Another example of Believing vs. Knowing... Opinions vs. Facts. And again, of taking the easy way out (like "oh, I eat fish, but I say I'm vegetarian because it's "easier" to explain...")



Some of these people would WANT to be vegan because they do know it's the right thing to do, but simply are not "strong" enough, so they define themselves as "vegetarian" to "look/sound" better, especially to their own conscience.



Of course, many people still define meat as mammal meat, as someone pointed out.



Fortunately really silly answers, like...



- "pescaterian is a branch of vegetarianism"

- "...pescaterian... is a recognised variety of vegetarianism..."

- "All forms of vegetarianism are "moral" choices -- not biological ones"



...fortunately are very few, things are looking better ...! Let's keep fighting for what we KNOW is right and true. !! ☺

Answer 2

People who eat fish or just one type of meat are properly called pescatarians. Some people who call themselves vegetarians just do it because they don't like meat and so prefer not to be given it, but personally I think those people are the ones misusing the title, they are just picky. Both my parents eat fish, but generally call themselves vegetarians because it is easier to say that than explain. They only eat fish because fish aren't usually kept in captivity like other animals, and so they don't feel as guilty about it.

Answer 3

I know! Even before I was a vegetarian, that annoyed me SO much! There are a lot of people out there that really don't change their diet at all but then call themselves vegetarians because it sounds cool, apparantly. I've met people that will eat basically any type of meat except for one and will call themselves vegetarians because of it... That's just picky eating!



People who don't eat any type of meat except for fish are pescatarians, and I wish more people would learn this word. You can google the word "vegetarian." The technical definition says something about not eating fish.

Answer 4

Is this a question or a rant?



I eat fish and seafood, but not any other meat, and I refer to myself as a pescetarian. If people ask me if I'm a vegetarian I say no.



I know that fish are animals but I choose to continue to eat seafood in limited amounts because I have clinical depression.

Answer 5

People seem to get confused about what constitutes an animal, with many thinking that all animals are mammals, and birds and fish are in separate categories. I also think Christianity has a lot to do with it, but that may be tied to the mammal thing too.



@ Lisa, pescaterianism is NOT a branch of vegetarianism. Vegetarians are defined as not eating any animals.

Answer 6

Because they never looked up "vegetarian" in the dictionary, or they never studied biology and think fish are plants. Vegetarianism means not eating the bodies of animals. Fish are animals, not plants, so eating fish is not vegetarian. Whether someone chooses to call fish "meat" or not makes no difference; "meat" is a culinary term, not a biological term. I even heard of someone who called herself a vegetarian and ate pork "because pork is the other white meat." nusnoom: I don't see what is so hard about saying you are a pescetarian and I don't see why you would have to call yourself vegetarian. Just say "pescetarian is like a vegetarian but you eat fish and no other animals" or "I don't eat red meat." What's so hard about that? "Pesco-vegetarian" doesn't make any sense; it's like saying "I don't drink alcohol, I just drink vodka" or "I'm a non-smoker because I only smoke filtered cigarettes." The person who said fish is considered vegetarian by Hindus is wrong. My wife is Hindu and vegetarian--fish and eggs are non-veg according to Hindu vegetarians. Hindu vegetarianism is about not eating animals--the thing about fish not being meat was invented by Europeans. My wife's family are mostly vegetarian and none of them eat fish--no one who eats fish is considered vegetarian by Hindus.

Answer 7

My mum calls herself vegetarian but eats fish.She simply doesn't like the taste of meat,but likes the taste of fish.

The correct term for people who eat fish but not meat is "Pescatarian".

Many people do it as a health choice,you can get enough protien from fish without the fat and grease of most meat.I try to do this with only a little bit of meat as a "treat".

Answer 8

Actually people who are vegetarian in all other ways but continue to eat fish are a branch of vegetarianism called PESCATARIANS.

They maintain a vegetarian diet except that they continue to eat animal flesh in the form of sea animals.



Why? I don't know.

But that's what they are called, and it's a recognized branch of vegetarianism.

Get over yourself.



All forms of vegetarianism are MORAL choices -- NOT BIOLOGICAL ones.

Other people have different morals than you.

Get used to it.

Answer 9

hey mermaid girlie, so converting from being a meat eater to an non- meat eater is VERY HARD. i don't think it is necessary to classify oneself as what they are. I am a vegetarian i initially became one for good health and mostly because of the abuse that occurs with animals. when i just converted i went straight into a juice fast consisting of 3 weeks. Once i got off of it i was good and only ate fruits and veggies cooked and non cooked. Once i told my mother she went into a shock and told me that im starving myself because of the fact that im a vegetarian. So at that point i thought well maybe it is best to just eat fruits veggies nuts fish and cheese. i thought that i will never lay off cheese or fish because i need fish for the important Omega's that we need.



so about a year later i got off of the fish. about 6 months-a year after that i was trying to lay off of the cheese. Its almost 3 years since i have converted over to being a "vegetarian" and im considering on becoming a raw foodist.



a vegetarian is someone who consumes eggs and diary. A vegan is someone who excludes themselves from eating anything that is eating. A raw foodist is someone who eats raw fruits and veggies nuts and seeds.



When you first become a vegetarian many people are ignorant we think vegetarian must be someone who does not eat meat or animals who are brutally abused. I remember that in the beginning i even called myself flexitarian because i allowed myself to eat fish cheese fruits veggies nuts and seeds. As time progresses in this type of lifestyle, those individuals become accustomed to it and their taste buds change. its amazing how much the desire of cheese or fish has changed for me especially since i thought that i would never stray from eating fish or cheese.



Hope my experience helped.

Answer 10

Well, you know, if it doesn't look like them, most humans consider it food... that's why they eat meat... and when they decide not to eat meat, they still see fish as so different, that they "can't be animals"... weird, but that's the way it works with most humans.



Also, addiction to animal products in general -fish too- could be another explanation...

Answer 11

Because some 'vegetarians' actually believe that fish grow on trees

Answer 12

you are right most eat some kind of meat, or eggs and then call themselves vegetarians, that's because they are not.

Answer 13

I know a lot of people that do that, and they said they don't believe that fish is real meat.

Answer 14

because they are un inform that fish is meat and that they are pesterians ( sorry about the spelling

Answer 15

People use the word 'vegetarian' to mean a wide variety of things. I've met a few people who claimed to be vegetarians who ate chicken and even one who ate corned beef but still claimed to be vegetarian.

Answer 16

Maybe they couldn't pronounce Pescatarian :PP

Answer 17

They are idiots

Answer 18

Touche... Mermaid. I totally agree with you.

Answer 19

They are pescetarian.

Answer 20

What is your fascination with other peoples diets and how they label themselves? Its NONE of your business!

Answer 21

I blame the Catholics, personally...