Is Going Vegan for Health Enough to Keep You Vegan?

Bite Size Vegan

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people come to veganism for a variety of reasons, from deep ethical convictions to environmental concerns, to improvement of health and appearance- but does your reason for going vegan effect whether or not you stay vegan? is personal health and appearance enough to KEEP you vegan? in this interview you’ll get to hear vegan activist gary yourofsky’s take on the matter.
 
I often don't agree with what Yourofsky says (or the way he says it), but actually there was a lot to agree with here. I'm not sure he explicitly said "animal rights", BC? The way things are in society where meat-eating is so ingrained, I think there has to be some kind of either ethical or perhaps religious/spiritual motivation for someone to stay vegan in the long term.

I especially enjoyed the distinction he made between following a vegan diet and veganism. Hear, hear!
 
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"Only AR vegans are worthy" Any other motivation is not good enough.

Yet another way to keep veganism an exclusive club.

It's not surprising, since most humans are pretty invested in feeling superior to other humans in some way.
 
I think ethical and health based vegans are in the same boat, in both cases its difficult to justify strict adherence to veganism instead of some sort of semi-vegan lifestyle.
 
I especially enjoyed the distinction he made between following a vegan diet and veganism.

In French and possibly in other languages, there are two different words for people who are dietary vegans and full blown vegans. Because a dietary vegan has no reason not to wear leather or fur coats (for instance), unless they eat leather and fur which is highly unlikely. The dietary vegan is a "végétalien" and a full-blown vegan for the animals is a "vegan" (like in English).

Unfortunately, in English there is one word for both types which leads to confusion sometimes.
 
The dietary vegan is a "végétalien" and a full-blown vegan for the animals is a "vegan" (like in English).

Unfortunately, in English there is one word for both types which leads to confusion sometimes.
That is interesting. There ought to be a separate word in English as well. Vegetablian?

I disagree that "dietary vegan" is an accepted and sensical term, but I have sympathy for some of the arguments for the term too.
 
I think going vegan to appease the vegan aliens is the best way to stay vegan. When they arrive in their giant spaceships, the vegans will be spared.
 
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Because a dietary vegan has no reason not to wear leather or fur coats (for instance), unless they eat leather and fur which is highly unlikely. The dietary vegan is a "végétalien" and a full-blown vegan for the animals is a "vegan" (like in English).
Unfortunately, in English there is one word for both types which leads to confusion sometimes.

I'm not sure what you mean by "full-blown vegan for the animals" but even at it's inception veganism was a mix of health-obsession (natural hygiene was a "vegan" movement), spiritual-motivations (interest in eastern religions and theosophy), hedonism, and relatively mild welfarist concern for animals. (The modern animal rights movement is a relatively recent phenomenon.) I've also never met a vegan or veganish person who is not influenced by some sort of ethical motivation whether it be deontic (rightist, spiritual, health etc.) or consequentialist (welfarist, utilitarian, environmental etc.). Scratch at a dietary vegan a bit and you will uncover some ethics.
 
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I think going vegan to appease the vegan aliens is the best way to stay vegan. When they arrive in their giant spaceships, the vegans will be spared.

And if the aliens are peaceful and tasty, strict animal-rights vegans would be permitted to eat them. :eek:
 
Remember that people change and everyone have their own path from omni to vegan. Some start for selfish reasons, and then they choose the red pill the Matrix and changes and see the suffering for the animals.
 
Remember that people change and everyone have their own path from omni to vegan. Some start for selfish reasons, and then they choose the red pill the Matrix and changes and see the suffering for the animals.

How is maintaining your health selfish?

Living a healthy and long life can have positive effect for your family, friends and society in general. So, by being a health vegan, you have a greater potential positive impact, because your focus isn't only on the animals.

It's possible to be an unhealthy vegan...and I've personally seen a number of them.
 
Selfish in the way that you think of only your benefits of going on a plant based diet, and don't think of the suffering of the animals at all in the beginning.

Of cause is being healthy good for your family too, and also for the animals. But several people start to see the suffering after a while. And will become an ethical vegan. And then start to adopted a vegan lifestyle, and not only a plant based diet.