I’m a Fat Vegan
I’ve been a part of the vegan community for several years now. In that time, I’ve noticed that there is one topic that is rarely, if ever, discussed: fat vegans. The most common criticism I hear about vegans is that we look pale, tired, and malnourished. As a well nourished, athletic, fat vegan, those stereotypes seem silly to me. On the other hand, I see a lot of vegans criticizing omnivores for their looks too, and more specifically, their weight. Rather than debating their points, some vegans tend to talk about how the omnivore is obviously unhealthy due to their weight, claiming this is due to dietary choices. But here’s the thing: criticizing someone for their looks, no matter what they eat, is a lazy argument. Instead, those of us in the vegan community should debate ethics, morals, and arguments. There are fat and skinny vegans just as there are fat and skinny omnivores. If you are truly vegan for the animals, then one’s body composition shouldn’t matter.
When a vegan insults an omnivore for their weight, they are simultaneously ignoring and insulting all the fat vegans in the community. It also takes away from the cause. If we know that veganism is an ethical choice, then we can’t claim that veganism is a perfect diet for health that will automatically bring someone to the weight they want. If you are vegan for the animals, or the environment, fat shaming is going to alienate others from the vegan community.
Most people don’t relate to the aesthetic Instagram version of veganism with slim, rich, shirtless hotties eating smoothie bowls. If someone tries a vegan diet because they heard they will lose weight, and they are unsuccessful, they might decide to shun veganism altogether. If they go into veganism and see the community shaming omnivores for their weight, they might not feel like they have a place to exist as vegan while living in a fat body. Having a mix of body types, including fat vegans in the community is a good thing, because it shows people that veganism isn’t unreachable for most people and anyone can reduce their intake of animal products
A while back, I received a comment on one of my YouTube videos that said, “Why are some vegans fat?” I initially had a negative reaction and wanted to respond in a nasty way. Instead, I chose to educate the commenter, and at the end they seemed to understand what I’m explaining here: that veganism is about ethics, not health. Assuming the best intentions in someone when they ask questions is the best route to go, no matter the subject, but especially with veganism, since major countries are built around animal based diets. I realize that the commenter had asked a question that a lot of people might be wondering. Why are some vegans fat? Again, the stereotype is that we’re malnourished, and on top of that, many vegans say that when they went vegan, they lost 20, 40, or even 100+ pounds. The truth is, some vegans don’t lose any weight at all when they switch their diet. The easiest explanation for many people might be that vegans eat too many carbs, or too many processed vegan foods, but really, that isn’t true either. For example, I have maintained my weight for almost five years whether eating meat and cheese, a “junk food” vegan diet, or whole food plant based diet. The only time I have actually lost weight is when on a caloric deficit (also, side note: carbs aren’t bad for you).
So, why have I stayed at my same, “fat” weight for years? After all, doesn’t veganism lead to weight loss? When I went vegan almost two years ago, shouldn’t I have lost weight? Not necessarily. A properly planned vegan diet can contain all of the needed nutrients and calories if you are eating a variety of plant foods and supplementing properly. So, if you go into a vegan diet expecting to lose weight, don’t be surprised if you don’t, or even gain weight. There’s so many delicious vegan junk foods out there like pizza, chicken nuggets, ice cream, chips. Basically any food that an omnivore can eat, there’s a vegan version out there somewhere. In addition, a lot more goes into someone’s weight than just the foods they eat. Genes, metabolism, set point, activity level, race, sex, age, culture, learned habits, sleep, stress, and medications can all play a role in one’s weight.
To be surprised by fat vegans or to assume that all vegans are malnourished is to simply misunderstand veganism. Again, there are fat vegans. skinny vegans, athletic vegans, non-athletic vegans, vegans with eating disorders, junk food vegans, whole food plant based vegans, and many more. Veganism is an ethical and moral practice that can take a lot of work for some people, and there’s no one rule for how we should look.
Finally, I just want to remind all vegans out there to take a look at how you are critiquing meat-eaters. Are you criticizing their arguments and ethics? Or are you insulting their looks? Remember that our cause has to make room for everyone, because the more people who feel accepted into joining the vegan community, the better for the animals, and the better for our planet.
