Why do people say they're vegetarian but eat chicken?

They actually eat only vegetarian chicken.

Chickens that do not eat meat.

So, it is a case of one vegetarian eating another.

It boils down to being hypocritical. They like the label of 'vegetarian' but they don't want to give up certain foods that they're already used to. Anything that has ever been alive at any point is meat. That includes pork, chicken and seafood.

There's even people out there calling themselves vegetarians who eat dairy, which comes from animals and therefore a true vegetarian would not eat.

I think some people just like to be called a vegetarian. I know there are now different classifications of vegetarians. Lacto-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, and some others i can't remember right now!

You are getting some very misinformed answers here but you probably already know that.

People that call themselves vegetarian dont really know what a vegetarian is..plain and simple. I don't think that most of them do it to lie. I just thik they are as misinformed as many ansering your question. I esp. love the guy/girl who says vegans eat red meat LOL!!!

Cause they're wanna be vegetarians. They don't have the will power, and they aren't physically or mentally strong enough to be true vegetarians. And they want to annoy the **** out of the people who are true vegans or vegetarians.

If they eat chicken they aren't vegetarian...

Vegetarians, as a whole, do not eat red meat. Some also choose to exclude poultry (pollo-veg) and/or seafood (pesco-veg). Because chicken and fish are indeed meat, it's debatable whether most would call it vegetarianism, but they are accepted forms.

Many veg's, in additon to actual flesh, eliminate non-meat animal products like gelatin and caesin. It varies a lot, though.

Drop all meat, but eat eggs and dairy, you're "lacto-ovo-vegetarian"

Drop all dairy products, and eat eggs, you're "ovo-vegetarian"

Drop eggs in all forms, but consume dairy, you're "lacto-vegetarian"

No eggs OR dairy, plus, no non-meat animal products, including honey, and you're, by definition, "vegan".

Go even further, and eat only plants and plant products (nothing grown with bacteria), and you're "macrobiotic" *please note, some macrobiotics DO eat meat. There's more to the philosophy than being non-meat-eaters. So, it's not technically a form of vegetarianism*

Vow not to cook your food, or do anything but pick and eat, and you're "raw-vegan", "raw-macrobiotic", or just "raw".

SO, to answer your question, there are, in fact, EIGHT forms af vegetarianism. (macro's don't count) pollo, pesco, pollo-pesco, ovo, lacto, lacto-ovo, vegan, and raw.

Nobody who eats the flesh of any member of the animal kingdom should be calling themselves a vegetarian.

I think because chicken isn't considered a "meat". Same as fish. If you ask me if it's living up until the point it ends up on your plate, you aren't a vegetarian.

then they are not real vegetarian. some vegetarian are not even suppose to eat eggs, let along chicken.

Meat comes from animals, animals have brains, ever seen a flock of chickens absolutely brainless. Therefore chickens are vegetable, just like the brainless idiot vegetarians who eat them.