Why are you vegan?

[mountainvegan]

Sorry if this has been asked recently, but this question comes up sometimes on another board and I'm curious about the answers here.

I'm vegan for ethical reasons only, although I do like the health and environmental results, too. If there were no ethical considerations, I would probably be "almost vegan" for health and environmental reasons each by themselves.

[downwithapathy]

I definitely went vegetarian for AR/Ethical reasons. I do believe health-type reasons played a role in my going vegan, though certainly not moreso than the AR stuff (which got my vote in the poll).
Regardless of why I initially went vegan, I consider all of the above reasons for my remaining such. :):):)

[jenzie]

What Sonja said. :)

[mountainvegan]

I just realized this would have been better placed in the Vegan FAQ forum. I guess I was anticipating the answers. :p

[herbi]

whoops! I think you're right! :) Here we go......
*whoooooooooooshhhhh!*
done!

[mountainvegan]

Thanks, herbi. :) Sorry 'bout the mishap.

[herbi]

ain't no thang! :kiss:

[Ariann]

Religious reasons, which sort of falls under ethical, but not exactly.

[iamtheqbu]

Yeah, AR/Ethics got me curious, the environment, human rights and health got me hooked and never looking back.

[bearhino]

Originally posted by mountainvegan
Sorry if this has been asked recently, but this question comes up sometimes on another board and I'm curious about the answers here.

I'm vegan for ethical reasons only, although I do like the health and environmental results, too. If there were no ethical considerations, I would probably be "almost vegan" for health and environmental reasons each by themselves.



well i vegan, for the all these reasons too, but if i had to put them in order--

i think it is nasty

health

enviroment

and yes compassion/ethics would be the last on this list.

just to put things into perspective.

i am compassionate person, but it would still come up last, with these reasons.

[gladcow]

I first became vegan for the health aspects, but as I read more and more I embrace all that defines "vegan"

[pB0t]

Ethics. Health and environment are nice perks though.

[Beanqueen]

AR reasons - the health benefits are a bonus though!!

[sheila]

For the animals, good health is just a happy side effect. You can't really be vegan for health reasons since it is a lifestyle not a diet. One wouldn't not wear silk, leather, wool for health reasons. or avoid medications, household products and cosmetics that are animal tested and contain animal ingredients. If a person goes "vegan" for health reasons they are really a "strict vegetarian"

[gladcow]

It is possible to become total vegetarian for health reasons, and then make the lifestyle transition as one becomes more knowledgable...

[misanthropy]

Ethical/AR.

[jenbizagogo]

Yup, ethical and AR reasons!

[Emiloid]

I went vegan equally for AR/ethics and environmental reasons. AR was what I frist read about, but I wasn't sure until I found out the environmnetal impacts. Basically, environmental reasons "sealed the deal", so that's how I voted.

Health is a very good side effect, and humanitarian reasons also factor in. I am also partly vegan in protest to political/consumerist policies (aka lies) with regard to food production and nutrition. Bascially, I don't want to participate or support the system.

[JasonSt]

Originally posted by sheila
You can't really be vegan for health reasons since it is a lifestyle not a diet.

Right on! Ethical reasons for me. Everything else is pleasant, natural consequence.

[Lacykitten]

I went vegan 100% for the animals.

Now my reasons include them all.. but here's the breakdown

Animals
Environment
Nasty (most are now, when you think of what's in them, what they are, etc etc)
Health

For me health isn't a big priority.. I think if it was discovered that vegans are less healthy, I still would be a vegan.. I don't think I could ever go back to eating any animal stuff... Plus I'm fairly unhealthy, though I'm working on it. ;)

Animals and Environment are the main important issues for me regarding what we eat and wear and use. Though I'm still slowly educating myself on the environmental impact of some of the alternatives we may choose to use...

[mountainvegan]

I agree sheila. Many people call themselves vegan based on their diet alone, which is incorrect. Next time I'll put (strict vegetarian) next to all the other reasons, since none of the other reasons, as primary or sole reasons, would require you to avoid animal-tested products, for example. Even if health was your primary reason and ethics your secondary reason, you may be vegan for your secondary reason, but not for your primary reason. So, now that I've written a confusing post, :huh: the bottom line is that I could have worded the question better to clarify the AR/ethical nature of the vegan lifestyle and that being vegan is not just a diet.

[Damissa]

AR / Ethical / Compassion
& Health (I really HAD TO leave diary out so...)

[Lacykitten]

Originally posted by Damissa
& Health (I really HAD TO leave diary out so...)

I was told to stop eating dairy if I wanted to get my asthma under control.. that's what made me finally go vegan :D

[beane]

I went vegetarian and then vegan solely for ethical reasons.

Health didn't factor into the decision at all, as until about a year ago, I ate a really crappy veg diet. I have since become a lot more health conscious, mostly as a result of being vegan. Since starting to eat a healthy vegan diet, I have become much more healthy, and more fit than any point in my life. In a way, I see being in better health and better shape than my omni friends as a form of activism. ;)

Though it wasn't part of my initial decision, the positive environmental effects of a veg diet was a nice perk of being vegan. Since becoming vegan, I have also become a lot more environmentally aware. To tell the truth, my decision to become vegan has made me more aware of the world in general. I know much more about political and global issues than ever before. Once you start to realize that there are appalling things going on, that you are in a way a part of, it is hard not to start asking what else there is that you don't know about, if that makes any sense.

[Emiloid]

Personally, I think that environmental reasons are ethical. I wonder, why does "ethcial" always imply compassion or animal rights? To live ethically is to live according to your beliefs/morals, and as an environmentalist I saw no alternative but to go vegan once I was shown the facts. Of course, as I explained, I also went vegan for ethical reasons related to treatment of animals.

[jenzie]

Excellent point, Em. :)

[Husky Corn Star]

Because I like to be as difficult as possible :brood:

[fridayiminlove]

I was an environmentalist before I was a vegan. However, it is the AR/ compassion that really made me vegan, and when I learned more about the environment and the benefits of a vegan diet, it all came together.

[VeganVeronique]

because its koll and sensible :D

[James Smart]

what gladcow said! For me, first came disgust with the meat industry( read "Fast Food Nation", if you haven't already), then health considerations. As time went by, every other consideration came into place (ethics, animal rights, etc.). Now i am a vegan for all the right reasons!

[Oatmeal Girl]

Ethical/AR. www.factoryfarming.com did it for me. I was a very healthy eater before though, so the health aspect of it was a great instigator.

[veganlove02]

I voted as an "other". My reasons for veganism have changed over time.

At first it was because I found myself liking meat less and less. I discovered the wonders of veggies and subtle tastes before I stopped eating meat. When I lived on my own I ate mostly veggies, complex carbs, and dairy and eggs. I considered it healthy, with what limited information I had.

Slowly I learned more about the horrors of milk, still not knowing anything about egg chickens.

Met my husband who was vegan and suddenly it was very easy not to eat meat, at least in his presence. It has taken some time to get used to not eating vegan only around the general public, add family.

I learned about the AR arguments for veganism. Chickens included. Beef cows included. I had already given up eggs though. Cheese was harder, but over time it has gotten much easier.

So, my vote is really a combination of "all of the above" now, more than "other". There is no primary reason anymore.

[its_a_gas]

I went vegan for ethical reasons, but I continue my dedication toward my vegan lifestyle for all of the reasons on the list.

Even if I woke up tomorrow not caring about animals in the least, the idea of eating anything that comes from a sentient being totally grosses me out. If I'm repulsed by the idea of eating another human, why wouldn't I be repulsed by the idea of eating a non-human animal?

Once I read The Food Revolution (I went vegan halfway through reading this book), I decided that there was more to it than compassion for animals though. The statistics on environmental damage frightened and depressed the hell out of me.

Health would come last on the list, because like many, I find it hard to prioritize myself in that way.

[theDuckThatWasnt]

Though I went vegan for ethical reasons, the health benefits (which I discovered later)are a big plus. I'm sick a lot. I have a lot of fairly debilitating health problems, and though becoming vegan certainly hasn't cured anything, it helps. It took AR/ethical stuff to spur me to action, and it's still my primary motivation, but I'm very glad for the health benefits. I guess that if I didn't have any medical conditions, it would be easier for me to brush the health benefits aside. As it is, they're a great bonus!

Hell, everything about veganism is! :)

[vgnwitch]

I tend to use 'strict vegetarian' when describing myself.

I do it mainly for health reasons. Environmentalism came next. Spirituality is also a factor. While I do care about animals and would like to see everyone stop eating them and abusing them, they weren't a big motivation for me.

That makes me feel a bit ashamed, but it's the truth.

[schmeel]

For me going vegan was all about the bling.
Fame was a distant second.

Actually it was a combo, one-two punch of animal rights and environmental issues. Health pulling up tha rear with an "I don't want that :mad: :mad: :mad: in my body!"

Don't hate tha playa,
Hate the GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!

[schmeel]

vgnwitch, you shouldn't feel ashamed. We're all doing this for our own reasons. I say a pox on anyone who criticizes another vegan for being vegan. I have a lot of friends who don't eat meat who would if they hunted and killed their own....I wouldn't but that doesn't mean it's wrong.

Yeah, so thanks for doing that thing you do. Tom Hanks is gonna write a song about you someday. And then play you in a movie...you and every single other character.

[mamaquilla]

schmeel, i sooooooo love your sense of humor ! :happy:

I want to be vegan for ethical/compassionate reasons with health a very close second :D

[seitanicvegan]

My first reason for considering veganism was personal health, but after extensive research, that reason quickly expanded to all of the reasons given. Knowing what I know now, I can't NOT be vegan.

[oldradical]

I chose the "nasty" option even though all the choices applied, and the originating motive was ethical. At this point in my life, the idea/feeling of going back to animal flesh/foods is very repulsive to me. It seemed to me, therefore, that it was a more "current" choice than the one that took me to vegetarianism in the first place.

[postmodernanimal]

i definitely started with compassion for animals (i think hamsters came first), but it was the one/two punch of damage to the environment and animal cruelty that made me go veggie. i never really cared about health much. i drag out the health argument when people ask, though, since in our narcissistic society, arguments from oersonal gain seem to work pretty well (of course, i also explain my other reasons). just look at all the people willing to go on insanely restrictive diets to drop a few pounds, then ask how you can be vegan.

[Tofuy]

i went vegan for the compassion, stayed vegan for the improved health feelings, then stayed vegan because girls like me that way, and now i'm vegan because of the environmental/economic small impact. so at this point, i have no compassion, don't feel healthy, and don't want girls to like me. but it's ok, because i'm vegan. i think i'm also vegan because at this point it's a habbit.

[cat's meow]

I went lacto ovo for health reasons. I became vegan for ethical reasons. The health problems that I had are almost completly gone. It's like a super bonus! Reducing animal suffering, and getting a clean bill of health. Who could ask for more?

[Chijou_no_seiza]

i went vegan for the compassion, stayed vegan for the improved health feelings, then stayed vegan because girls like me that way, and now i'm vegan because of the environmental/economic small impact. so at this point, i have no compassion, don't feel healthy, and don't want girls to like me. but it's ok, because i'm vegan. i think i'm also vegan because at this point it's a habbit.

That's sad :(

[Tofuy]

i think i was making a bad joke. about 90% of the time i look back at what i write and, honestly, i feel puzzled. i've stopped trying to make sense and i've completely given in to misspellings, grammerical errors, and crazy thinking. the benefit is, i'm writing much more now. not only has my quantity increased but i think the quality has gone up a little.

so to clarify: other people call me compassionate, the mirror says i look healthy and i'm fairly athletic, and girls seem to like me. i don't know if that has anything to do with me being vegan, but, damnit, you've caught me posting late at night so i'm not responsable for anything i say.

2 people in my class project group were commenting about my being vegan. it led me to an interesting thought. i think i'm vegan because i've learned how it can be a great thing for me. that veganism itself is great, i think it's a sepperate issue. it takes a while to learn how veganism can be a great thing in all of the different ways. i don't think it happens over a few months. i think it takes more time than that. but it's so great. strange too, i'm so used to it that i'm starting to see it only as other people see it. that part has been getting stronger the last few years.

very strange. but that's happy :)

[arkaay123]

For me the order is :

Environment (factory farming,food shortage in the third world)
Ethical (stand up for those who are oppressed)
Health (the last reason.so would not eat meat even if it <is> good for health).

I remember growing up in the village, the cowdung was used as a manure and to paint the walls ( don't know the right word for it... but other indians may understand) and for cooking.(google search: gobar gas) .
There is so much eco harmony in that.
I know it is still that way in villages . but may not long last with globalization and MNC's.

Factory farming is mechanized,cruel and all about profits.

[Hippopotamine]

I voted that I went vegan for environmental reasons, but the interesting thing is that the basis for my environmentalism is animal rights!! One of the main reasons that I care so much about the environment is because destruction of the evironment=cruelty to animals. The environment=animals' homes+the animals living there.

When people destroy habitats by cutting down trees or polluting the oceans they are directly harming animals, wild and free animals who have no way to protect their homes against people. The destruction of natural habitats is just as horrific to me as factory farms, if not more so, simply because it is something that once stopped cannot be repaired. Once species are extinct, it's over. Once eco-systems are destroyed, it's too late. There's no going back.

Can you imagine being one of these wild creatures and seeing your home being destroyed all around you? Watching your loved ones being killed, and your source of food or water or breeding grounds being destroyed? Being displaced like a refugee, and struggling to find another way to live? Dying at the hands of some monsters after watching your whole world be destroyed?

Veganism and environmentalism go hand in hand.

[gypsy2vegan]

... I am also partly vegan in protest to political/consumerist policies (aka lies) with regard to food production and nutrition. Bascially, I don't want to participate or support the system.

Yea!

I started out veg. 'cause i felt like it but with in a year it was ethical -
thus leading to the vegan LIFESTYLE that we have
all been talking about tonight.

[theveganmary]

I know this is an old poll, but I just wanted to put in my reply: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ANIMALS!! Veganism could be the unhealthiest diet, and I would still be vegan. Good thing it's the healthiest way to live! What a bonus! :D

[Emiloid]

I know this is an old poll, but...
Hey, unless they're closed, there's no such thing as an "old poll". Post and vote as you like! :)

[libertine]

Although I'm not a big fan of PETA these days, I did become vegetarian (for a week) because of their Meet Your Meat video. Then I realized that animals were still suffering even though wasn't eating meat and I just went for it all.

[vegangurl]

I was vegetarian for 2 years,but ate fish only.Then, I stumbled onto the PETA site and saw all of the horrible videos and without a doubt decided to go vegan.I was shocked to see the condition the animals was treated.I would have never known if it wasn't for PETA. :kiss:

[berrykat]

i really wanted to post all of the above :)

[Lyrical-lynx]

Sech i amlost feel like a bad vegan, i voted before i looked at the poles results, non of the options were exactuly why i went vegan, but i went with, `animal product nasty` witch was i think the main thing, but health was also key, seems i am alittle alone in this thou, almost all of you went for ar/ethics etc, although actully thinking about it, how different is that to not wanting to use animal products, becuase all the AR/Ethics/Compasion is becuase of getting the animal into the product in the firts place? humm i will think on this some more!!

[grunch]

I became vegan because I did not want to contribute to animal suffering. But, I feel so good since becoming vegan health is part of the equation. I'm a Green Party member so environment matters too. When I was about 12 I did not want to eat meat cuz it was gross. So all of the above applies to me :silly:

[teacherguy]

I voted "health" because that was the first reason I adopted a vegan diet. Now, I would say ethical/compassion for my vegan lifestyle, but that's something that grew out of my compassion for myself. Now I'm confused. "All of the above" would have been a good choice on the poll.

[Tigerlily]

I wanted to eliminated dairy for health reasons (sinus issues). Around the same time, I wanted to be vegetarian for ethical reasons. So I put 2 and 2 together, and decided to go vegan.

[pink.apple]

For the animals. :)

[veggieliz]

i decided to change my diet and lifestyle because of my insane compassion for animals. I would (still do!) look into an animals eyes and see love, kindness, innocence....i didnt want to ruin that. I feel like animals have families and that if i kill one of them then the rest are going to be sad...i imagine if my relatives died, i know i would be so sad. I also learned that we dont need to eat animals to survive...so why eat them?! People eat animals because they are selfish. So i voted AR/compassion on the poll.:D

[Elle124]

I am all about Peace and Love!
I also would like to think that I have a positive impact on the future and can save instead of harm...both Earth and all the creatures on it!:D

[Vegit-8]

I may well be a very efficient omnivore and it may well be that we as a species are where we are developmentally because we can be omniverous and it has provided us with survival advantages...but I choose to lead a life based on principles of compassion and respect and in this day and age and this here and now there is no need for me to eat anything other than a vegan diet in order to be happy, healthy, and whole. So, given the gift, or the good luck, to have the ability to choose...
...I choose VEGAN.

The same goes for my choice to live an overall vegan lifestyle to the very best of my ability.

May peace and joy be with us all.
Vegit-8

[rick green]

Does it really matter what our forebears ate way back in the Olduvai Gorge? And was it really more or less natural than what we eat today? If so, help yourself to grubs & worms & bugs, etc. We will laugh at you from the vegan side of sanity. Nowadays eating, living and representing veganly makes sense in terms of the environment, health and ethics. I mean take your friggin pick!

[mountainvegan]

Here’s a link that goes some more into the reasons I’m vegan (it even has straightforward answers to the feebleminded questions and objections most trolls bring up!):

http://www.cultureandanimals.org/animalrights.htm

[Joda]

There is no other way to be! :happy:

[emzy1985]

It was all about the animal rights and everything else that comes with it is a bonus!!

[gladcow]

this (http://www.schnozzfest.com/blog2/?p=48) is a great post about becoming vegan

[abbicus]

I voted ethical/AR.

I stopped eating meat for this reason when I made the connection between the dogs I love and the cows I ate. As I kept reading and learning, I was made aware the the ethical implications of eggs, dairy, etc, but I was way too much of a dairy addict. I realized that eating a crapload of pizza and ice cream was not healthy at all, so a few months after I stopped eating meat, I quit the rest. It would have never have stuck if the compelling reason was not ethics; however, the health issue shortened my vegetarian to vegan transition. Really, it was waaay too much cheese (the fact that I say this shows what a change its been. Before, it would have been, "too much cheese? There's no such thing!)

[bumblebee]

I originally went vegetarian for the animals. Then (Not understanding what animals go through for dairy and eggs) I cut back on dairy/eggs for health. Then I went vegan for the animals. Now, I have at least an equal (and selfish) concern for the environment.

[Provoked]

For me it definately is the ethics - funny though, I was "vegetarian" for years thinking "Happy cows/happy milk/happy chickens/ happy eggs". WRONG. Technically, I was "vegan" in my heart. Once I found out about dairy cow hell & calf slaughter & hen imprisonment & torture - the real vegan part was a no-brainer.

Now, I find myself caring about it ALL - health, environment, politics, the whole she-bang! :)
Go VEGAN!!!

[kaylie likes plurr]

omg provoked ....me tewwwww.
we rock.