The Challenges Of Becoming And Staying Veg
Omnivorous diets can harm human health and the environment, not to mention their effects on animal welfare. Vegan or vegetarian (veg*n) diets are generally healthier for people and the planet. They also reduce animal suffering and death. However, relapse to meat-eating is quite common. But so far, the fields of social psychology and consumer behavior have not looked closely at why people switch to veg*n diets or why they move away from them.
To fill in this gap, researchers in this study performed a systematic literature review to learn how people become veg and how they sustain this new eating pattern. They searched major electronic databases in June 2019 and again in March 2020. After screening over 17,000 articles through keyword searches, a set of 33 items met the criteria for inclusion in the final analysis. Of these, there were 20 from the U.S., three each from Australia and Canada, two from the U.K., and four from European countries.
They identified a continuum of dietary practices. This continuum had seven steps: Omnivore->Flexitarian->Reducetarian->Pescatarian->Plant-based->Vegetarian->Vegan. All the studies examined dietary changes that fell somewhere along this continuum. Analysis of the selected papers reveals three themes.
- Sociodemographic Profiles – Veg*ns are more likely to be female, highly educated, and have incomes that place them in the middle or upper social classes. They are intelligent and report high physical and spiritual well-being.
- Motives – Moral, health, sensory preferences, and environmental sustainability are the primary motivations for switching to a veg*n diet. While a single motive may start consumers on their journey, their reasons for becoming veg*n often multiply during the process.
- Process – Researchers divided this theme into three subtopics.
- Awareness and attitude development – A powerful experience creates awareness. Subjects then perceive a gap between actual and desirable behavior. If the subject can resolve the resulting informational or emotional conflict, they may change their attitude toward veg*n diets.
- Social network and physical features – New veg*ns may face stereotyping or ostracization, so having a community of veg*ns to socialize with is important. Ease of finding and affording veg*n food also plays critically into veg*n adherence.
- Relapsing – Reversion to a non-veg diet is usually the result of inconvenience, health-related issues, or challenging individual or social situations. However, those who adopt a veg diet based on animal welfare concerns are less likely to abandon it. And just as becoming veg*n is a process, so is ending it.
Choosing to follow a veg*n diet after a lifetime of eating meat is a consequential decision and fraught with challenges. Both becoming a veg*n and relapsing from it are processes that take time. Most people don’t have a single “aha” moment, go home and completely re-stock their fridge and pantry. For animal advocates working on veg*n promotion, this is a valuable observation. Particularly for veg*ns in danger of relapsing, it shows the importance of support, both in the form of educational campaigns as well as personal encouragement. The corporate world has learned that it’s a better strategy to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. It’s likely the same for animal advocacy.