I hate it when people assume I'm not serious about being a vegetarian because of my age. I'm 17, but I've been a vegetarian since I was 5. As soon as I realized that the food I was eating was made from animals I refused to eat it. I went through many nights of sitting at the table for hours because I was told I wasn't allowed to get up until I ate the meat. I went through and am still going through skipping ever single school lunch because my school refuses to provide a vegetarian alternative to meals they serve. I've gone through years of awkward dinners at my friends' houses because they didn't warn their parents I am a vegetarian before they made dinner. I've gone through years of scanning menus for vegetarian options when my family and friends are eating hamburgers.  I've gone through years of being told "You're missing out!" "You're going against God!" and "God put animals on the Earth for us to eat." So don't tell me I'm not serious about my choice to be a vegetarian, because even as a 5 year old I was going hungry during the school days and feeling inconvienient eating meals at my friends' houses. I've been a vegetarian for 12 years and trust me, I'm serious about it.