Why Do People Go Vegan?

Ever wondered, “Why do people go vegan?” You’re not alone. Tons of people are making the switch, causing many others to consider ditching meat, eggs, and dairy, too. But folks’ reasons for going vegan can be as diverse as chickens’ personalities. Here are some of the major ones to consider:

1. Vegan For Animals

It probably comes as no surprise that here at PETA, this is our favorite reason for being vegan. We oppose speciesism (the misguided belief that one species is more important than another), which means that eating the flesh of pigs (who like to sunbathe and can even play video games) is a concept as obscene as eating human flesh.

To us, chowing down on an omelet would be like frying up and ingesting a used tampon. (No, seriously—eggs come from chicken menstruation.) And stealing milk from a cow—who produces milk for her own young, just like humans—and dumping it into our cereal bowl would be like stealing a neighbor’s breastmilk. Cows, who mourn the deaths of their loved ones, sometimes even shedding tears over their loss, don’t want to be used as milk machines. They simply want to be left in peace. People who are vegan for animals understand this.

2. Vegan For the Environment

Global warming is scary, but going vegan isn’t—it’s easy, and it’s one of the most effective actions we can take to fight climate change. Animal agriculture is responsible for nearly a fifth of human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions—breeding, raising, and slaughtering animals for food and clothing is devastating the planet on a global scale. For example, more than 80% of the Amazon rainforest that’s been cleared since 1970 is used for grazing or growing food for cattle who are slaughtered for meat and leather.

But going vegan is a simple step that can help ensure a sustainable future, which is why so many people choose to fight climate change with diet change.

3. Vegan For Human Rights

Other animals are not things that belong to humans—they’re individuals with their own interests. All animals deserve consideration and respect, a concept that many civil rights leaders—past and present—have maintained.

Picking and choosing which ugly “isms” to oppose isn’t how social justice reform works. Ableism, homophobia, sexism, speciesism, racism, and transphobia are all linked by one common theme: supremacy. Those who count human rights among their reasons for going vegan get it: We can’t eradicate one form of prejudice without eradicating them all.

4. Vegan For Health Benefits

Eating meat has been linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity, animal-borne pathogens like the novel coronavirus, and other health issues. Leaving meat off your plate and eating plants instead cuts your risk of suffering from heart disease by a whopping 32%.

Eating plants can provide all the nutrients that we need to be healthy and strong, minus all the saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants found in animal flesh, eggs, and dairy—which is probably why so many of the world’s top athletes are vegan.

5. Vegan For Personal Reasons

Most adults around the world are lactose intolerant (which makes sense—milk is food for young mammals, and there’s no need for mature mammals to digest it), and some are allergic to dairy.

Some people practice a religion that emphasizes mercy and respect for life and opposes cruelty.

Whatever your individual motives for going vegan are, there’s a good chance that the lifestyle suits you.

6. Vegan Because Celebrities Do It

What’s good enough for Natalie Portman is good enough for the rest of us, amiright? While perhaps this reason is not as moving as social justice or environmentalism, being inspired to live a kinder life by your favorite actor, singer, or athlete can be powerful. Some celebrities even inspire other celebrities to drop meat, eggs, and dairy, like the time PETA friend Joaquin Phoenix used his Oscar speech to call for an end to speciesism …

“[M]any of us, what we’re guilty of, is an egocentric worldview …. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal …. I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change.”

… and created the ultimate Hollywood ripple effect: Shortly after Phoenix’s speech, Harrison Ford stopped eating cows and other animals, Robert Downey Jr. revealed that he’s eating more plants and less animal-derived food, and Mark Wahlberg announced that he’s now vegan and “feels good.”

Bonus: Some or All of the Above

What’s better than going vegan for one of the reasons above? Going vegan for them all!

If you ask a vegan why they choose a life free of animal exploitation, they’ll likely give you a combination of the reasons above. That’s because, deep down, we know that the planet, our own bodies, and all animals are equally deserving of respect. (And because Natalie Portman is a goddess who can do no wrong.)

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So, which reason or reasons will persuade you to go vegan?

If any of the above resonated with you, news flash: You’re vegan and just don’t know it yet. Don’t worry, though—we’re here to help make going vegan even easier than it already is. Order yourself a free vegan starter kit to get fun, easy recipes and useful tips.