# Could a vegetarian eat himself? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390 "2014-04-05T01:08:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/1 "2014-04-05T01:08:06Z")
I was wondering: If a vegetarian has a sudden crave for meat… could he remove part of his own liver (as it would in theory grow back again) and eat it? I know that they did that on a Dutch tv show, but… would that be against vegetarianism rules? In theory nobody is really suffering to produce the meat… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/2 "2014-04-05T01:45:27Z")
Yes, but then he’d be a humanitarian. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/3 "2014-04-05T01:57:55Z")
Obligatory link to Cecil’s mighty expose on [placenta stew](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/686/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-placenta-stew) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/4 "2014-04-05T02:37:32Z")
People choose to be vegetarians for many reasons, not just the suffering of animals. But even so, wouldn’t that kind of surgery produce your own suffering? Why would anyone be so sensitive to animals’ suffering, but not his own? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/5 "2014-04-05T04:05:52Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Yes, but then he’d be a humanitarian. Or a livertarian. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/6 "2014-04-05T05:16:19Z")
Since this doesn’t have a simple factual answer, I think this is better suited to IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/7 "2014-04-05T05:48:10Z")
Haha. Nm ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/8 "2014-04-05T05:51:56Z")
There are no ‘vegetarian rules’. Why is the person in question a vegetarian? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/9 "2014-04-05T06:18:46Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/10 "2014-04-05T06:23:13Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > I was wondering: If a vegetarian has a sudden crave for meat… could he remove part of **his own liver (as it would in theory grow back again) and eat it?** I know that they did that on a Dutch tv show, but… would that be against vegetarianism rules? In theory nobody is really suffering to produce the meat… Okay, how about if a vegetarian ate part of a cow’s liver (as it would in theory grow back again)? Would that be against the rulz? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/11 "2014-04-05T06:33:57Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > In theory nobody is really suffering to produce the meat… For the record, most vegetarians don’t avoid meat to prevent animals from pain and suffering. For most, it’s a lifestyle choice, or religious tradition, or in some cases it’s because their digestive system can’t handle meat for some reason. (In the words of Beck: “I’m a vegetarian not because I love animals, it’s because I hate plants!”) Full disclosure: I’m a meat-eating heathen, but I’ve never eaten part of my own body, so can’t offer any advice there. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/12 "2014-04-05T06:34:47Z")
Only a very crazy, disturbed vegetarian. We halfway-normal vegetarians are no more interested in eating human organs than any other non-sociopathic person, due in no part to our self-imposed dietary restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/13 "2014-04-05T06:37:36Z")
Well, they say you are what you eat… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/14 "2014-04-05T08:00:51Z")
I want to know if vegetarians can eat animal crackers. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/15 "2014-04-05T11:04:58Z")
I am a vegetarian who loves animal crackers and decapitating teddy grahams. What is this Dutch TV show where people eat their own livers? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/16 "2014-04-05T14:10:39Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Or a livertarian. Bookworms are libertarians > [@CatherineZeta](#): > > What is this Dutch TV show where people eat their own livers? with some fava beans and a nice chianti? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/17 "2014-04-05T14:16:44Z")
lady fingers they taste just like lady fingers ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/18 "2014-04-05T17:46:53Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > would that be against vegetarianism rules? As noted, there isn’t really any such thing as “vegetarian rules.” You may be mixing up cause and effect. It’s not “I am a vegetarian, therefore I have to abide by these rules” but “I choose to abide by these rules, therefore I am a vegetarian.” ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/19 "2014-04-05T23:25:30Z")
I’m gonna assume that this question indicates it is perfectly normal for a sub-set of animal-eaters to eat parts of themselves without raising questions. I always thought they were weirdos. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390/20 "2014-04-06T15:28:37Z")
He would have to bend more than just the rules. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-vegetarian-eat-himself/685390.md?page=2)