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egetarianism / v ɛ dʒ ɪ ˈ t ɛər i ə n ɪ z əm / is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat ( red meat , poultry , seafood , and the flesh of any other animal ), and may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter . [1] [2] [3] [4] Vegetarianism may be adopted for various reasons. Many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs , as well as animal rights advocacy. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental , cultural, aesthetic , economic , or personal preference. There are variations of the diet as well: an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-vegetarian diet...