Why do people think vegans are weak?

Question

I am a vegan and a All-American Linebacker.

Answer 1

I was a vegetarian when I was around 15 for a couple of years. I still drank milk, no eggs, and tried to eat a lot of tofu. However being so young and uneducated, my parents being meat eaters, my body suffered from a lack of vegetables, calories, and protein. I started getting really sick and my hair started to fall out a lot. I stopped growing too..

It comes down to education and practice. Also people think that eating a lot of meat is "manly" (if you consider manly to have meat rotting in your intestines anyways :) )

Answer 2

I don't consider vegans weak, but maybe some Americans think they are because most people who are vegans are also "animal lovers", like so many environmental groups are "tree huggers". (Americans just love labeling those who don't follow the mainstream, the more negative the better.) Since vegans won't eat any product coming from an animal, it makes some ignorant Americans view them as "sissies" for not wanting to eat "Bambi". I, however, admire vegans for their lifestyle choice. I've tried eating vegan, but ended up very ill. I do, however, eat at least one "vegan" or "vegetarian" meal a day, and I've found I have more energy and feel better in general. (I have an auto-immune disorder that makes me tired all the time. Skipping meat and byproducts once a day has been all I can do without getting ill. And I actually feel "healthier" and have more energy now than I did before skipping meat and meat products once a day.)

Just don't listen to the nay-sayers. You are your own person and deserve to live a long and healthy life. You are healthier than most Americans. That right there should be enough to convince you the rest of America just got it wrong.

Answer 3

Because people love stereotypes; it's so much easier to "batch-process" everything. Why look at people as individuals when you can sum them all up? So to become vegan (or even vegetarian) it requires some research, therefore:

1. It's going to (stereotypically) be bookish type to look up that info on nutrition to make sure they are eating the proper mix of veggies, fruits, grains, legumes etc. Bookish sorts are (stereotypically) less concerned with physical fitness anyway. No physical fitness = weak.

2. The less bookish type is (stereotypically) less likely to bother looking up that info and so does NOT get the proper nutrition and so does fall ill or suffer from mal-nutrition maladies. Mal-nutrition = weak.

3.The protein thing is a farce as we all know, but that is the presiding argument as to why one should eat meat. So no matter how much you scream "the world is round!" they don't listen because protein molecules are not visible on the surface of broccoli florets. No protein = weak.

Stereotypes and batch processing in this way make life easier for the moron. They don't have to think outside of the box. They can say "Vegans are weak and Gay people listen to show tunes" whether either statement is true or not.

Notice how they all come in here and say the same thing over and over. They even think it's like this some resounding new thought each time too (plants have feelings etc).

Answer 4

I don't think you can really generalize something like that. Even though you may get criticism or see it on here, I don't think all people feel that way. You don't hear the complimentary... just the questions (not necessarilly critical), and uneducated, sometimes rude comments. My point being is that I don't believe the majority feel vegans are weak. No matter what our diets are, the important thing is that we get the nutrients we need no matter how we choose to do that. We can get proteins and calcium in many ways. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I know I'd have no problem adjusting if I had to, or chose to, and still get the nutrients I need.

(People! What makes you all think vegetarians and vegans don't get the proteins they need??! Of course they do!! There are MANY other foods that are high in protein. As for calcium, I'm not vegan and I take calcium +D supplements. Don't assume being vegetarian and vegan makes people stupid. I'm sure most know to compensate with the right foods and supplements to get what they need)

Answer 5

Storm Talifero is a raw vegan.

He's not weak and he's smart.

Guy's nearly 60, but looks young enough to be my older brother (I'm 24)

Answer 6

And Ruth Heidrich and Brendan Brazier are vegan Ironman triathletes, and Pat Reeves is a vegan powerlifter... I doubt anyone would call them "weak" (at least not with a straight face.)

Answer 7

So, big bulging muscles are supposed to make you healthier? No. A trim fit vegan is healthier than some protein filled meat eater. Most women prefer healthy slim toned males compared to Bubbas. And that, my friends is their complex.

Answer 8

i could somewhat be susceptible than fat. i'm vegan in the journey that your vegan you have plenty much less danger of fixing into fat in case you do it the nicely suited way. Im not asserting you you would be unable to be a fat vegan. and that i don't consume ramen, that stuff is stuffed with chemical ingredients. I consume fruit, nuts, entire grains, and vegetables. not plenty else.

Answer 9

I eat meat but I have never thought of vegans being weak. I get the reasoning not to eat meat...I think its cool

Answer 10

Because in todays world of Atkins dieters people think they need so much protein and consume too much. Compared to these people vegetarians (who eat a normal healthy amount of protein) don't eat very much at all. This myth produces ideas that those who eat a well-balanced diet are weak. Unfortuantaly these people on high protein diets typically have high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, and like Dr. Atkins himself suffer from heart disease.