The consumption of meat and dairy has become a matter of planetary urgency. “We have to change our diet. The planet cannot handle billions of carnivores,” said David Attenborough in his 2020 biographical documentary. A life on our planet† Yet that transition from meat-eating to plant-based diets is fraught with fear and cultural constructs that trap us, especially for men going vegan.
Eating meat is increasingly recognized as having a negative impact on animal welfare, the environment, and personal and public health.
Researchers warn that eating meat isn’t just a dietary preference; it is packed with sex. Manifestations of masculinity continue to dominate the male body and are often symbolized by the consumption of meat. Consuming meat for men is a symbol of masculinity – to the point where preserving masculinity may be a contributing factor to gender differences in meat consumption and health disparities associated with overconsumption of meat.
The most common vegan demographics are women between the ages of 18 and 34, and twice as many women as men are vegan. And most vegans are women – in the UK about two-thirds of vegans identify as women; in the US it is more 4 to 1. According to the US Department of Health, men worldwide eat about 57% more meat than women.
An article in Guardian earlier this year by vegan David Hillier challenged the assumptions that “real men eat meat”. Hillier describes his childhood as a series of constant teasing and shaming, titters and comments about his manhood because of his decision not to eat meat. He was besieged with the ubiquitous use of “gay” as an insult. Labels of “soy boy” and “you must be gay because you are vegan” became commonplace.
Jibes about the vegan diet are recurring in Western culture. It doesn’t help when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims that veganism is “a crime against cheese lovers”.
How did meat become synonymous with masculinity? Men are often offended by other men who consciously choose not to eat dead things and openly express their dismay. Singular models of Western masculinity ascribe sex to certain foods, suggesting that men and women “make sex” by consuming sex-linked foods. Meat, especially red meat, is an archetypal male food. Men often emphasize meat, and women often minimize meat, when representing gender as an individual.
As a result, men often take pride in eating meat.
What can be done to convince the guys that being coy about barbecuing, saying no to steak tips, and even cutting back on the roast beef is the easiest way to reduce one’s carbon footprint?
What is the protein myth?
Culturally, meat is a symbol of strength and dominance, with its consumption both placing humans at the top of the food chain and filling the human body with proteins and fats needed to provide plenty of energy.
However, the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine says a varied plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables and beans can easily meet a person’s daily protein needs, without the risks of animal products. With the traditional western diet, the average person in the US consumes about double the protein their body needs.
In addition, the main sources of protein consumed are usually animal products, which are also high in fat and saturated fat. While it’s true that your body needs protein, the reality is that you need more plant-based, nutritious foods to provide that protein and build muscle.
Proteins are found in all plant foods except fruit. It’s easy to get enough protein from a plant-based diet. In fact, raw vegetables have an average of between 5% and 15% protein content, while cooked beans and legumes have 18% to 30% protein. Sufficient amounts of protein can be obtained by eating protein-rich vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, peas, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and asparagus. Lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, quinoa and buckwheat are also high sources of protein.
The Rich & Famous & Athletic — Guys Who Go Vegan
Does it seem absurd that bodybuilders eat plants? ultra runners? What about race car drivers?
Can a Formula 1 driver be a vegan? They usually experience 5g when braking, 2g when accelerating and 4 to 6g when cornering. Every Formula 1 car has an ADR (Accident Data Recorder) device installed, which records speed and g-forces.
Lewis Hamilton says he is concerned about animal cruelty, global warming and personal health and is one of the “hegans” who are turning gender stereotypes on their heads. He has won the Formula 1 championship 7 times (8 if you question the legitimacy of the 2021 season results). He has been knighted and was named one of Peta’s 20 Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities in 2021. As one of Britain’s most influential vegans, he shares his plant-based philosophy with his nearly 27 million followers on Instagram – even his dog is vegan.
Scott Jurek does not eat meat or dairy. Still, the ultrarunner excels in athletic performance — he ran the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in a record time of 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes. He has also twice won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, the ‘toughest running race in the world’, and the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece three times in a row.
Multiple Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic follows a plant-based diet for optimal athleticism. During a press conference I explained:
“It’s more of a lifestyle than just a diet, because you also have ethical reasons, being aware of what’s happening in the animal world. The slaughter of animals and farming and all that, of course, that’s also a huge impact on climate change that people might not talk about that much. It’s more than a performance reason for me; it’s a lifestyle. It’s something I’m really proud of.”
Patrik Bouboumian became Germany’s strongest man in 2011 – the very first vegan to do so. He also won the 2012 European Powerlifting Championships in Finland, beating strongmen from all over the continent. In 2013, he told his followers:
“This is a message to anyone who thinks you need animal products to be fit and strong. Almost two years after going vegan, I’m stronger than ever, and I’m still getting better by the day.”
Final Thoughts—Survey Says…
As far back as 2010, studies showed that omnivorous and vegetarian participants rated plant-based targets as more virtuous and less masculine than omnivorous targets.
Animal diets are no longer a real concern. But what can be done to reduce more harm in plant-based foods? Confronting gender stereotypes about eating meat will definitely help. What do recent studies tell us about the increasing acceptance of veganism?
According to a 2019 study commissioned by the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled to 600,000 between 2014 and 2019.
In 2020, the Vegan Society surveyed 1,000 Britons and found that a majority feel guilty eating animals such as pigs, but not dogs.
A global survey in 2021 by the global non-profit organization NSF found that 88% of food industry practitioners said they expect demand for plant-based products to increase. 74% said they believe consumers are choosing plant-based for a healthier lifestyle, and 60% believed it is more environmentally friendly.
Britons have reduced their meat intake by almost 17% in a decade, according to a 2021 study in The Lancet’s Planetary Health log.
Research also in 2021, published in the journal please afound that the average British man’s diet produces 40% more CO2 emissions than women’s, largely due to increased meat consumption.
An August 2021 study indicates that, among other nutritional, motivational and demographic factors, eco-friendly behavior positively predicted both the short-term and future target adherence to plant-based diets.
A US study published in November 2021 in the journal pull found that conformity (or otherwise) with traditional gender roles was still a good predictor of people’s meat consumption and openness to vegetables for environmental reasons.
It helps that documentaries like the one on Netflix normalize the concept of meat abstinence or reduction. The Game Changers it’s great if you haven’t seen it. It tells the story of James Wilks – elite Special Forces trainer and winner of The Ultimate Fighter – as he travels the world in search of the optimal diet for human performance. What he discovers is that the world’s elite athletes are vegans – both men and women.
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