Is there any real reason to be a vegetarian?

The only real reason I can see to be a vegetarian is if you happen to dislike the taste of meat, and so you don't eat it, which I suppose technically makes you a vegetarian, but it's not on any kind of ethical grounds.
I'm a meat eater, so obviously I have no ethical problems with killing animals to eat them, but most vegetarians do, and yet they still consume dairy and eggs? Those industries have the same implications for the animals as the meat industry. The cows that produce milk are killed after a couple of years when they are no longer able to produce the milk, usually they are turned in to meat for people to eat. Same in the egg industry, male cocks are of no use and killed.
I have nothing against people who are ethically against the consumption of animal products, ie vegans. We just share different ethics. I just think it's hypocritical to say killing animals is wrong and then contribute to the dairy and egg industry, as most vegetarians do.
Also any self proclaimed 'vegetarians' who still eat fish, gtfo.

Have you ever seen a fat veggie?

My point was to say that on average a veggie would probably eat less (because all the fatties are meat eaters, not all meat eaters are fatties), so the guys point about you'd have to eat more veg in order to replace the meat was invalid as people don't tend to eat just what they need.

There are some obese veggies, I myself am one.

We aren't common though. And my problem is sugar filled drinks rather than too much food... so your point still stands.

That coupled with my unwillingness to believe that the vegetable industry kills as much animals as the meat industry, leads me to believe you definitely are contributing less to the death of animals by being a vegetarian.
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I would disagree, Animal deaths as a result of agriculture outstrip deaths from the meat industry by factors.

Except we feed a lot of vegetables to animals that are then used for meat.

Fair enough. Admittedly I don't know all that much about the subject. As my reasons are not moral ones, it's not a subject I've looked all that deeply into.

One cow feeds up to twenty humans for a day

I would think you could feed more than 20 people for a day with a single cow. I would say one of these could feed well over 20 people for a day.

No you don't, the Vegetables you eat caused the death of far more animals than the meat industry does.

LOL

It's not funny, one potato causes the death of on average seven insects and a fifteenth of a small mammel.

Do you have any idea how many insects are killed concerting fields into agricultural land?

While I'm not a vegetarian I would turn the question around and ask why he's not a vegetarian. Humans historically needed meat because their plant food source was limited to a few hundred miles (ergo limiting nutrition), this is not the case today.

Regarding my wider thoughts I have some sympathy because of how inefficient creating meat is in comparison (something like ten times more water required) and also because I find it hypocritical to suggest that its humane to electrocute an animal (death is death) so I may cut meat out of my diet at some point although I don't really care for all the hippy arguments about it.

You've been saying this for years. When are you actually going to put your principles before your preference for meat?

I don't think you have got your figures right. Insects maybe. But small mammals, no. Where did you find the figure for 15 small mammals?

Edit: By your figures 450,000 small mammals die per hectare. Plant density of 30,000 per hectare which is about average.

It's not funny, one potato causes the death of on average seven insects and a fifteenth of a small mammel.

Do you have any idea how many insects are killed concerting fields into agricultural land?

My original point remains: factory farming is environmentally un-sustainable.

As is a pure vegetarian diet.

Think of the insects and the voles...THE INSECTS AND THE VOLES!!!!