Is Being Vegan Stylish or Stigmatizing?

Burger King recently made headlines after a vegan customer filed a lawsuit alleging the food chain’s “Impossible Whopper” was marketed as meatless, when it was actually cooked on the same grill as burgers made with meat. According to the New York Post, the plaintiff claims there are no disclosures on the menu alerting customers that Burger King’s cooking method results in "meatless" patties being contaminated by meat byproducts.¹

The Post also notes that Burger King states that it did not advertise the Impossible Whopper as vegan, had previously disclosed its “open kitchen” cooking practices, and permits vegans and vegetarians to request their meatless patties be prepared in an oven as opposed to in a shared broiler.

Legal merits aside, the social discussion surrounding this incident took place not in a courtroom, but within the court of public opinion.

Vegans Find Their Voice

After the story broke, non-vegans expressed surprise that vegans would be patronizing a drive-through restaurant in the first place—as if fast food chains only sell meat, and vegetarians get a longer lunch hour than meat eaters. Vegans spoke up as well, prompted to take a closer look at how their own orders would be prepared. Other fast food chains were no doubt busy examining their own meatless menus, making sure they are very clear about vegan options, so they do not become the next restaurant to be taken to court.

One very important “byproduct” (pun intended) of the story, is the reminder that there are apparently many more vegans than some people realize. Sure, a plant-based burger is not appetizing to everyone. But there are enough takers to have prompted many restaurants to offer it as a meat-free alternative. So, who is buying these products?

Vegan Health

Source: Image by silviarita from Pixabay

For many people, being vegan is part of a healthy lifestyle. We all know people who proudly identify with a meatless diet, sharing recipes and restaurant recommendations, often revealing veganism as the secret to their svelte figure or high energy level.

But other people are private about their plant-based diets. Even superstar Miley Cyrus reportedly took close to a year to publicly announce her dietary transformation to veganism, although fans note that she apparently hinted it about it on Instagram.²

So if being vegan is more common than is disclosed, why do people feel the need to keep their meatless existence under wraps? Research has some answers.

Vegan Stealth

Kelly L. Markowski and Susan Roxburgh (2019) examined how stigmatization may impact the decision to go meat free.³ In an article entitled “If I became a vegan, my family and friends would hate me,” they examine how vegans and others who avoid meat are sometimes stigmatized for “disrupting social conventions” with respect to food. Investigating the subject through a series of focus groups, they found that people who are not vegan anticipate stigma associated with vegan eating.

Two strategies they identified through which non-vegans attempt to circumvent this identified stigma were social and behavioral distancing. Markowski and Roxburgh note that the presence of this “vegan stigma” might prevent people from adopting a plant-based diet. They note the importance of their results in connection with the public health concern related to meat over-consumption, and public health initiatives which encourage plant-based diet options.

Many people would enjoy enormous health benefits from a plant-based diet, and should not be afraid to make the switch. And they would be in good company, as more vegans come forward all the time. From A-listers to athletes and movie stars to models, veganism is trending.

Vegan Chic

Is it cool to be vegan? If you are taking your cue from famous personalities, the answer appears to be yes. From Paul McCartney to Serena Williams and Madonna to Megan Markle—at least during the week, many famous people swear by a vegan diet.⁴ Some celebs made the switch due to their love of animals, others for health reasons. But regardless of the rationale, their open embrace of a plant-based diet as part of a healthy lifestyle is slowly replacing stigma with style.

With more vegans openly embracing a meatless lifestyle, restaurant chains have to keep up with demand. In retrospect, the Burger King lawsuit may be viewed not as an anomaly, but as a sign of the times.