Animal suffering. The environment. Human health. Workers’ rights. World hunger. There are many reasons – and many benefits – to going vegan. But did you know these motivations can affect how long vegans stick with the diet?
A recent study, published in the journal Appetite and written about on Time.com, examined specific food choices and behaviors of people who are vegan either for health or ethical reasons – the two most often cited reasons for going vegan. The authors wanted to find out if these motivations affect how vegans live and what specific vegan foods they eat. It turns out, they do.
Vegans who made the switch because of health motivations reported eating more fruit and fewer sweets, whereas those who went vegan for ethical reasons reported more frequent consumption of soy, foods rich in Vitamin D, and vitamin supplements; and – here’s the really interesting one – being on the diet longer.
Other studies have found similar information. In another 2014 study, a majority of the former vegetarians sampled reported having become vegetarian due to health reasons. Only 27% of former vegetarians said they had become vegetarian because of a concern for animals. There’s evidence to support the claim that people who become vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons stick with it longer.
Another, not necessarily contradictory, explanation for the findings in the Appetite study, is that ethical vegans become vegan sooner than health vegans. In other words, concern for animals prompts a change more quickly than does concern for health. It could be that the greater disgust with meat and more intense emotional reaction to meat consumption reported by ethical vegetarians, motivates a quicker transition to vegan eating. This would cause ethical vegans to report having been vegan for a longer amount of time than health vegans. If this is the case, then ethical motivations would appear to prompt people to become vegan sooner.
More research is needed to come to a solid conclusion, but the findings reported here make me even more confident in Vegan Outreach’s approach. Our booklets focus on the suffering involved when people eat animals and their products – an appeal to ethics. I hope what the studies suggest is true – that this argument makes people more likely to go – and stay – vegan.
April 14th marks the release of the 40th Anniversary ebook edition of Peter Singer’s groundbreaking work, Animal Liberation, originally published in 1975.
Animal Liberation played a critical role in inspiring a generation of animal advocates. It was instrumental for influencing the activism of a number of Vegan Outreach’s Board members, including myself. If you are at all interested in animal advocacy and have not read the book, you owe it to the animals–and yourself–to do so!
Animal Liberation is divided into six chapters:
1. All Animals Are Equal
2. Tools for Research
3. Down on the Factory Farm
4. Become a Vegetarian
5. Man’s Dominion
6. Speciesism Today
I have always thought that chapter one, All Animals Are Equal, contained the most eloquent and concise argument for extending moral consideration to animals. In reading it again for this review, my opinion hasn’t wavered. Here is an excerpt that summarizes the argument:
“If a being suffers there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that its suffering be counted equally with the like suffering—insofar as rough comparisons can be made—of any other being. If a being is not capable of suffering, or of experiencing enjoyment or happiness, there is nothing to be taken into account. So the limit of sentience is the only defensible boundary of concern for the interests of others. To mark this boundary by some other characteristic like intelligence or rationality would be to mark it in an arbitrary manner.”
Animal Liberation popularized the term speciesism. Singer writes:
“Racists violate the principle of equality by giving greater weight to the interests of members of their own race when there is a clash between their interests and the interests of those of another race. Sexists violate the principle of equality by favoring the interests of their own sex. Similarly, speciesists allow the interests of their own species to override the greater interests of members of other species. The pattern is identical in each case.”
Except for the parts cataloging the abuse of animals (Chapters 2 and 3), I find Animal Liberation to be a very enjoyable read and was glad I had a reason to reacquaint myself with it.
You can buy a copy of the re-released eBook by clicking this link:
When we think about the meat industry, some of the animals that usually come to mind are cows, pigs, and chickens. But there’s another species, one we don’t often think of, whose members end up in slaughterhouses by the hundreds of thousands every year.
Each year, about 200,000 American horses – some discarded from the horse racing industry – are made into food. From now until the end of horse racing’s Triple Crown – June 6 – Vegan Outreach is partnering with vegan author Kristine Oakhurst to spread awareness of the suffering involved in the racing and horse meat industries.
Here’s how you can help:purchase the book Tall Omaha, and until June 6, 100% of the royalties will be donated to Vegan Outreach to support our mission to end animal suffering.
Tall Omaha is the first book in a trilogy from author Kristine Oakhurst, who herself is vegan, and is actually a former animal cruelty investigator. It tells a story of a young, abandoned filly and her journey from the racetrack to the arms of a similarly discarded 16-year-old girl. Now—and this isn’t exactly a spoiler—but Tall Omaha (the filly’s nickname is also the book title) and the girl, Max, don’t even meet in the first book, but their parallel journeys are both inspiring and heartbreaking, and at times, the abuses suffered by one are almost a direct stand-in for the horrors suffered by the other. The chapters bounce back and forth between horse and girl, but with a few detail changes. It’s like we could be reading about the same person or animal, all in unison.
Of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted horses sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico and exported to Europe and Asia, around 20% raced at least once in the U.S. That’s a staggering 109 American racehorses per day turned into food for human consumption.
While the last American horse slaughterhouse closed in 2006 due to pressure on Congress from animal activists, the plight of American horses is far from over. Not only have groups in New Mexico been trying to open a new one since 2012, but because there are no active slaughterhouses in the U.S, there are only two USDA inspectors looking out for the welfare of horses headed to slaughter in other countries.
With all this in mind, I am proud that Vegan Outreach is bringing you a great opportunity to learn about the racing industry while contributing to our mission to reduce animal suffering. Tall Omaha is a great book featuring both an animal and a vegan main character, written by a vegan author, and further supporting empathy for both human and non-human animals.
Support Vegan Outreach. Buy Tall Omaha on Kindle or Paperback, and 100% of the proceeds will go to prevent animal suffering by inspiring more people to go vegan – for the cows, pigs, chickens, horses, and all animals.
Babs McDonald Then and Now: On the day she went vegan, and 25 years later with her four-legged pals
Welcome to the Supporter Spotlight post for April! In these monthly blog posts, we take a moment to shine a spotlight on our members, whose hard work and generosity truly enable the work of Vegan Outreach. This month’s Spotlight is particularly exciting, as we celebrate someone who has been vegan for 25 years! Congratulations to Babs McDonald. Let’s get to know her, shall we?
Tell us about yourself, Babs.
I have been a U.S. Forest Service employee for 23 years. I co-write and co-edit a science education journal called Natural Inquirer, which is free in hard copy and on the Web. (Check it out!) I live in Athens, Georgia on 14 mostly wooded acres with my vegan husband (Ken Cordell) and nine rescued dogs. Ken does a lot of innovative vegetable and wildflower gardening. We work to make our land a refuge for wildlife. I’ve been hyperactive all of my life, so I am an avid exerciser. My two favorite things to do are hiking in Scotland and long distance, open-water swimming (in warmer climates than Scotland!).
Share with us the story of your “vegan journey.”
I had been mostly vegetarian since my second year in college, and became a committed vegetarian after my stepsons left home in the mid-1980s. I was becoming more aware of the broad scope of animal cruelty, primarily through PETA and local activism. I organized a PETA Animal Rights 101 workshop in March 1990. In the weeks previous to the workshop, my forever dog Weber, then 14, declined rapidly.
Everything coalesced on March 17, 1990. Weber passed away early that morning. The workshop that day was tough for me, but being surrounded by 100 like-minded people (and four PETA employees) helped me through. That day, in memory of Weber, I vowed to do as little harm to animals as possible. Going vegan, obviously, was the largest part of that vow.
How has being vegan changed in the last 25 years?
I started a Ph.D. program in Adult Learning in 1994. For my research, I chose to study how people learned to become vegan. Through personal interviews, I learned that many vegans struggled as they chose a vegan lifestyle. I learned about vegans who had their marriages break up, lost jobs, and whose family members became distant or rejected them. In the mid and late-1990s, some people viewed veganism as a cult. At best, some people were suspicious of vegans. I’ve seen a cultural shift in the last 25 years.
Today, vegans may still be left off of dinner invitation lists, but I sense an unspoken respect for vegans, and an acknowledgement of veganism’s health and environmental benefits. For the most part in my experience, however, most people still don’t want to be confronted with the abhorrent cruelty involved in their meat and dairy-based choices. Vegan food options are much better today than 25 years ago.
What advice do you have for people who want to go and stay vegan?
The most challenging question from my perspective is how does one stay vegan? I believe the following self-knowledge helps to make a sustained vegan lifestyle possible, and perhaps even easy:
an undeniable recognition that one is complicit in animal cruelty and environmental degradation every time they consume an animal product or by-product,
a spiritual understanding that suffering is an unwanted experience of all living beings, and
the sense of empowerment that comes with knowing that personal choice is possible and powerful: that one can live well without harming or taking the life of other living beings.
I tell people that being vegan is great for my heart — it gives me great joy. My research taught me that you never know what information people will connect with that will lead them to a vegan decision. Maybe even more important, you never know when that information will become relevant. Some of my vegan participants went vegan five or more years after their initial introduction to institutionalized animal cruelty. Vegan Outreach does a fantastic job of providing information that might lead to a vegan choice.
How did you first get involved with Vegan Outreach?
I learned about Vegan Outreach while doing my dissertation research. Jack Norris was one of my dissertation participants. I’ve always had the deepest respect for Vegan Outreach’s intelligent and successful approach to teaching others about veganism.
You’ve supported VO since 1997! What inspires this?
Vegan Outreach has a well-developed and proven model for success in getting the word out about veganism to people mostly likely to choose a vegan lifestyle. Some of these people may become vegan 1, 5, or 10 years from now based on Vegan Outreach’s efforts today. The most effective way for each individual to reduce animal cruelty, decrease the impact of climate change, improve environmental health, and support his or her own health is to choose a vegan lifestyle. I like putting my support where it will have the greatest impact for animal well-being and for our planet.
Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.
Over time, I find myself drawn to less-processed and minimally-cooked foods. My favorite meal at home is tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn on the cob straight from the garden. I can eat corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes all summer without tiring of them. I am interested to learn if other long-term vegans experience this increasing preference for minimally-cooked and unprocessed foods. Of course, it’s fun to eat the occasional vegan hotdog! Vegan meat substitutes make it easier to be a part of social events, and that’s a great thing.
Thank you, Babs, and congratulations on 25 years of being vegan!
Join Babs in supporting the work of Vegan Outreach by signing up for a monthly donation today.
And for help transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet, check out our Mentor Program.
I’m currently in Maryland visiting some friends, including my pal Bella (photographed above).
Bella’s guardians introduced me to an amazing line of 100% plant-based “rawhides” for dogs called Whimzees. They’re a cruelty-free alternative with healthy, natural ingredients, and Bella LOVES them!
If you’re looking for vegan-friendly dog treats, check them out! Here is some important info from their website:
“We’re a company of dog-lovers, people-lovers and Earth-lovers. We’re obsessed with bringing only the best, healthiest and most-fun dog products to the world. And we do it in a sustainable, socially-responsible way.”
You can find WHIMZEES at Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, Pet Valu and independent pet retailers.
If I told you that shopping online could inspire new vegans, would you think it was an April Fools Day joke?
It’s true!
When you shop at The Vegetarian Site in the month of April, they will donate 10% of your sale – in fact, all sales! – to Vegan Outreach, so we can continue spreading the message of compassion and inspiring more people to go vegan!
So whether you need some new shampoo, a pair of boots for upcoming Spring hikes, or chocolate syrup to drizzle on your vegan ice cream, head over to The Vegetarian Site and help reduce animal suffering while you shop!
Buy vegan goods. Inspire new vegans.
The Vegetarian Site will donate to Vegan Outreach 10% of all sales made in April – regardless of what is purchased, by whom, or through what link.
The conference, held this year at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center outside Washington, DC, July 30 – August 2, is the go-to conference for people who want to learn more about animal rights issues, find ways to get active for animals, and meet new and longtime activists from all over the world. The sessions teach effective practices and new approaches to animal advocacy.
Check out the 2014 program schedule to get an idea of what 2015 might offer. There is a lot of information to learn, a lot of people to meet, and – of course – a lot of vegan food to eat!
Vegan Outreach will have a table in the exhibit hall – complete with booklets, t-shirts, and more, as well as friendly faces waiting to say hello to you!
Our President, Jack Norris, RD, and our Executive Vice President, Jon Camp, will each present a session at the conference. Those who attended last year may remember helping us celebrate Jon’s achievement of handing out one million VO booklets and being inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame.
The conference is always full of fun, so we hope to see you there!
As a sponsor of the conference, Vegan Outreach can offer its supporters (that’s you!) $20 off the price of full registration. Register online using the discount code VO20.
Michelle Obama kicked off her time as first lady by launching ‘Let’s Move,’ a campaign that promised to reduce the obesity epidemic among children in America by bringing together a group of the country’s top nutrition advisors to help make policy changes for the American public. Although there’s still a long way to go when it comes to offering children healthy vegetarian options at their schools, progress has definitely been made in the direction of promoting plant-based food. Here are five reasons to celebrate the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign:
The New Executive Director of ‘Let’s Move,’ Debra Eschemeyer is a food justice activist who encourages educators and parents to teach children where their food comes from. As the co-founder of Food Corps, Eschemeyer educated a division of AmeriCorps workers about the value of providing fresh and local produce to all children. She recently launched team Fruits ‘n Vegetables (FNV) a program to expose children to healthy produce commercials, seeing as they are currently exposed to over 5,000 unhealthy food ads per year. Get ready to see more marketing for healthy produce!
With the latest meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, nutritional experts recommended eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting back on the saturated fat found in meat. As more and more scientific evidence is revealed in favor of a plant-based diet, more schools will adopt Meatless Mondays Resolutions.
Michelle Obama recently partnered with singer and actress Beyoncé to promote healthy eating habits. Beyoncé supports a plant-based diet and started her “22 Days Nutrition Vegan Meal Delivery Service” this year, which delivers vegan meals to people’s homes. As a result, vegan meal deliveries are on the rise with delivery services like Veestro, Lighter, Green Lite Meals, and Forks Over Knives Meals-to-Your-Door, which are perfect for people who are new to a vegetarian lifestyle.
Just last week, the “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools Initiative” celebrated installing its 4,000th school salad bar at a school in Baltimore, Maryland. Thousands of children will now have access to healthy produce when they enter their school dining hall. Additionally, studies show that with access to these salad bars, children are increasing their produce consumption. Give it another decade, and pretty soon we’ll be moving Vegetarian Hot Food Bars into schools, too!
New Jersey Senator, Cory Booker, who is a vegan, presides on the leadership committee for Partnership for a Healthier America, which is an organization that works in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign. As a member of this committee, Cory Booker has the potential to get dozens of large, private companies, such as Sodexo, to move towards adding more sustainable vegetarian options.
There’s no doubt that we still have a long way to go to reduce the obesity rate in America, which remains around 17% for children between the ages of 2 and 18. But let’s take a moment to praise the small steps that are moving us in the direction of a sustainable and compassionate plant-based future. Let’s celebrate these national food policy victories that are bringing us closer to our goals of a more compassionate vegetarian world! Please provide comments on this blog post (below) about the school lunches being served in your cities and what plant-based options are available for kids.
Laura Morse is currently a student at The Natural Gourmet Institute, where she studies plant-based cooking and nutrition. She’s a Vegan Outreach volunteer and the former President of the Penn State Vegetarian Club.
Welcome to the “Supporter Spotlight” post for March! In these new monthly blog posts, we take a moment to shine a spotlight on our members, whose hard work and generosity truly enable the work of Vegan Outreach. Let’s peel back the curtain and get to know one of these champions for animals, Todd Hilson.
Tell us about yourself, Todd.
I am 17 years happily married with three growing boys (ages 13, 10 and 6) and three furry babies (two kitties and a rescue greyhound). I am a walking oxymoron… I’m a vegan Christian crossfitter with an MBA. I enjoy coaching my boys in soccer and playing tennis with them, playing fetch with Dolly (our greyhound) in our backyard, drinking craft beer, and participating in muddy obstacle course races. I work for our family’s chemical distribution business that my father started in 1973 and am responsible for purchasing and inventory management.
Share with us the story of your “vegan journey.”
It all started with reading Gail Eisnitz’s book, “Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry.” Upon reading this book (and several others afterwards), my eyes were opened to the immense suffering farmed animals endure. I became lacto-ovo vegetarian in March 2000, and then went vegan in January 2006 and haven’t looked back since. My 13-year-old has joined me on this quest and has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for a few years now!
You’ve given monthly to Vegan Outreach for years. Why do you support VO?
I love the mission, message, and distribution of VO. I think targeting college-aged students is a great idea and I like the language in VO’s materials. It’s not an “all or nothing” approach to veganism so people are more open to it.
What advice would you give to someone considering vegan eating?
Don’t be afraid to try new foods and don’t worry about what other people think! You will soon realize that there are many new foods you like, and once you’ve had tofu prepared properly at a good Asian restaurant, your opinion of it will change forever! Life’s too short to worry about what other people think of your lifestyle choices.
Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.
While I have many, I would have to say that my absolute favorite is a dish served at a local Thai restaurant. The dish is called Rama Delight and it is part coconut milk curry, part peanut-sauce with tofu and broccoli. It’s simply amazing.
Thank you, Todd, and thank you to all our wonderful supporters!
When I first became vegan four years ago, it was after meeting my boyfriend, Mitch, who had been vegan for over 17 years. I felt so lucky to have someone in my life that I could ask all sorts of questions, from what he ate to how to handle specific situations I found myself in.
For me, having a vegan partner made it especially easy to adopt a vegan lifestyle. I considered Mitch my Vegan Guide. Sometimes, as vegans, it’s pretty obvious what you can eat, or substitute, or what you can tell someone who doesn’t understand why you don’t eat animals. But sometimes it’s not, especially in the beginning.
I went vegetarian a few years before becoming vegan. When people would ask me why I didn’t eat meat, the only thing I could say was that I felt weird eating animals. I felt like that wasn’t an easy enough reason to understand. However, years later, I know that it’s a perfectly acceptable answer. As a vegan, you don’t have to know everything there is about veganism (or vegetarianism, or reducing your consumption of meat). All you need to know is that you don’t feel right eating animals, and that you don’t have to.
That’s why I’m so grateful to help out with Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Mentor Program. Launched earlier this winter, this program pairs up people who either want to eat fewer animal products, become vegetarian or go vegan with people who are already vegan.
The majority of vegans out there likely didn’t have a lot of support when they wanted to make this particular change in their lives. Though they weren’t afforded this luxury, they can use their knowledge and experience to help more people become vegan. To me, the best part of this is that people who are seeking mentors are already open-minded—they know what goes on in factory farms, and they want to make a difference. But they have a lot of questions and fears—What will I be able to eat? Will I be hungry all of the time? Will it be hard? What if my family doesn’t support me?
The good news is the number of vegans and amount of resources is growing daily. There are websites, new food products, meet ups, and more … all dedicated to veganism! We’d like to ask you to participate in this trend by either signing up to be a vegan mentor, or, if you’re looking for support yourself, as a vegan mentee. Just take two minutes to complete the brief form, and we will work to pair you up with your match as soon as possible.
