Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism = vegetarian??

Question

Hi.. I been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 17 years now, and I have always thought that "vegetarian" was pretty much the same as "lacto-ovo-vegetarian" I have been telling others that this is the case.. but thought... well.. maybe I should get other vegetarian's opinions.

Yes, of course I know that there is lacto-vegetarians and ovo-vegetarians.. but they are pretty rare indeed (especially ovo-vegetarians.) The greatest majority of vegetarians are lacto-ovo..

Vegans have their own name and are quite happy to use it.

So your opinions? Is "vegetarian" pretty much short for "lacto-ovo vegetarian"

Thoughts?? Not wanting to start an argument or anything, I just want other people's opinions..

A person who eats fish is not a vegetarian. Fish is meat, has been since people have eaten fish, and it will always be meat.. If people who eat no meat accept fish want a title so bad, they have one "Piscavore" or "pescatarian" can never remember which.

THey are not vegetarians, no matter what they say.

Hey! I'm a tall striking blonde who looks like Cameron Diaz!!

hmmm.. looking in the mirror I see that I still have dark brown hair and am only 5'3" Tall.. either I've invented a new "definition" for "Tall blonde" or calling myself something doesn't neccesarily make it true!

I feel you Phillyfan..

IT is true that it is also used as a more general term.. However, vegans call themselves "Vegans" they don't usually call themselves "Vegetarians" because it's not specific enough.

Answer 1

Yes, I agree that it is assumed that when someone identifies him/herself as a veggie, it means lacto-ovo. I hate when fish eaters call themselves vegetarians! Since when was fish a vegetable??

Answer 2

I think lacto-ovo is used to differentiate them from, say, vegans. For example, I'll say I'm a vegan, but my boyfriend is ovo-lacto vegetarian (ovo-lacto rolls a little more easily off the tongue than the reverse). If you eat both dairy and eggs, you can call yourself vegetarian, and that should get the point across.

Answer 3

A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat.
Eggs and dairy are not meat. So when someone says they are a vegetarian, that means they do not eat meat, and that they may or may not eat eggs and dairy.

Honestly I'm not crazy about the addition of lacto and ovo to the word vegetarian, since it leads to people adding other prefixes to the word-- like pollo, pesce, etc.

But I guess that you could say that vegetarian usually means that they consume dairy and eggs.

Keep in mind that's not always the case. I am a vegetarian that does not consume dairy or eggs (or anything from an animal). I don't wear them either.

Answer 4

Only a youngster without much knowledge and a big ego would go around saying that "old time" and "strict" vegetarians are on their way out. They are not going "out", well maybe in your popularity contest. Many seem to be blinded by their own importance, even though they are taking a baby step down the path of consciousness and some compassion. Flexitarians is the new buzz word of 2007. They are the ones who have started down the road to be "old time" vegetarians but have wimped out to go all the way. He claims that theirs is a healthy diet. Heck you could be an omnivore and still have a healthy diet. I know vegetarians who eat healthy diets, and I know vegetarians who do not eat a healthy diet. I think "healthy" is such a irrelevant term nowadays.But the term vegetarian means absolutely vegetables (hence veg is the main Latin root word!). So a vegetarian eats only vegetables. Now fish is not a vegetable, but the other white meat (flesh is the proper term, but not many like to say the F word around meat eaters). And again with the eggs and dairy being added to the diet with the adjectives lacto and ovo are from people who have wimped out along the way. It isn't hard to survive (healthily or not healthily) without animals for food. It is just hard in this society where things are warped to pacify people's illusion of a conscience, and to justify their actions with unstated truths of healthiness.

Answer 5

I am a vegetarian and I've given up eggs and I'm currently in the process of eliminating dairy from my diet. My decision to become a vegetarian was because of cruelty to animals so for me to keep eating dairy and/or eggs would be just plain wrong. At this point I drink milk, eat cheese made without rennet and use margarine. I did use butter but I gave that up about a month ago and I buy dairy products from local farmers. Those are the only animal products I use, I don't eat any kind of meat or wear clothing made from animals, I buy cruelty free and animal free personal and household products. It's not possible to be perfect, but we do the very best we can. As far as eggs and dairy goes, it's a personal choice.



According to the Encyclopedia Britannica this what vegetarianism is:

the theory or practice of living solely upon vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts—with or without the addition of milk products and eggs—generally for ethical, ascetic, environmental, or nutritional reasons. All forms of flesh (meat, fowl, and seafood) are excluded from all vegetarian diets, but many vegetarians use milk and milk products; those in the West usually eat eggs also, but most vegetarians in India exclude them, as did those in the Mediterranean lands in Classical times. Vegetarians who exclude animal products altogether (and likewise avoid animal-derived products such as leather, silk, and wool) are known as vegans. Those who use milk products are sometimes called lacto-vegetarians, and those who use eggs as well are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. Among some agricultural peoples, flesh eating has been infrequent except among the privileged classes; such people have rather misleadingly been called vegetarians.

Answer 6

Yup. That's how I've always heard it. I was raised vegetarian, and didn't even know the pre-fixes lacto and ovo until I was a teen.

I'm with Allie, people that add lacto and ovo are going to start adding other things. Random idiot: 'Hey, I'm a lacto-ovo-pesco-pollo-porko- beef on fridays only o-vegetarian!' Me: 'Um, no, guy, your an omnivore.'

Answer 7

In India and among Indians living abroad, "vegetarian" means lacto-vegetarian. Often called simply "veg." (Anything with red meat, poultry, fish or eggs is called "non-veg.")

To others, "vegetarian" generally means "lacto-ovo-vegetarian."

Answer 8

Correct. The only time this may cause problems is if, say, an ovo-vegetarian said he was vegetarian and got cheese and threw a hissy fit. But that kind of situation is very rare.

Answer 9

Yes L-O V is a vegetarian. Any form of meat/fish declassifies the V*

Answer 10

"Vegetarian" is a brood term, whereas "lacto-ovo-vegetarian" is a more precise type, just like "vegan," is also a specific vegetarian...