You are in Food and Nutrition . They're picky eaters already, but increasing numbers of kids are going vegetarian. Some parents are pushing their kids to go veggie, but many kids are making their own decision to eschew meat forever. After seeing an endearing animal friend save the world, meat is just too tough to swallow. For other youngsters, it's parents choosing to reduce the risk of certain illnesses or to follow religious or spiritual beliefs.
Some adolescents adopt it as a fad.
For others, it's an identity issue. And there are those who form a philosophy that prohibits meat consumption because they are against animal rights violations. Also, many teenagers adopt vegetarianism to lose weight, says DeAntonis. They know that hamburgers are fattening, cheese is fattening. They eliminate animal products they think are fattening without recognizing the nutrition content.