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“More than a diet”: A qualitative investigation of young vegan Women's relationship to

food

Isabel Costa, Peter Gill, Romana Morda, Lutfiye Ali

PII: S0195-6663(19)30565-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104418
Reference: APPET 104418

To appear in: Appetite

Received Date: 29 April 2019

Revised Date: 16 August 2019
Accepted Date: 22 August 2019

Please cite this article as: Costa I., Gill P., Morda R. & Ali L., “More than a diet”: A qualitative
investigation of young vegan Women's relationship to food, Appetite (2019), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/
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 “More than a diet”: A Qualitative Investigation of Young Vegan Women’s

Relationship to Food

Isabel Costaˡ

Peter Gillˡ

Romana Mordaˡ

Lutfiye Ali²

ˡInstitute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia

² RMIT, Digital Ethnography Research Centre, School of Media and Communication

*Corresponding Author:
Peter Gill
Address: Victoria University, Institute for Health and Sport, Ballarat Rd Footscray Vic 3011
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 3 99195641

Keywords: Vegan, vegetarian, women, diet, animal ethics, eating disorders, identity

Declarations of interest: none

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 1

Abstract

One’s relationship to food is an important factor that can contribute to wellbeing but can also

lead to eating disturbances. Research in this area has linked vegetarianism and veganism to

disordered eating. However, through social media, many young women have recently started

to share their vegan experiences with many highlighting the role that veganism may have on

promoting a ‘healthier’ psychosocial relationship to food. The current study aims to

qualitatively explore the role that veganism plays in young women’s wellbeing and

relationship to food. Participants were ten young vegan women aged 18 to 25. Semi-

structured interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

These women were found to passionately engage in a vegan lifestyle, as opposed to just a

vegan diet, which appeared to have a number of positive effects such as a healthier lifestyle, a

stronger sense of control and agency, more meaningful social relationships, and a sense of

connection to a vegan sub-culture. Through veganism, many of the women transitioned from

social disconnection and a focus on body image, to a stronger emotional (empathic),

cognitive (knowledge of animal cruelty and healthy eating), and behavioural (diet and

consumption choices, actions towards other) investment in their social worlds. We suggest

that the healing potential of veganism, is derived from this passionate investment of the self

that redefines young women’s ways of being in the world. The healing benefits of engaging

in a vegan lifestyle may have clinical significance for working with young women who are

socially disengaged or who are at risk of disordered eating.

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 2

Introduction

Food can act as a social agent used to establish and manage social connections, and

can become part of people’s identity and self-image (Lindeman & Sirelius, 2001; Rozin,

2005). From a psychosocial perspective, one’s relationship to food has been found to be an

important contributing factor in wellbeing as well as disordered eating (Rozin, Fischler,

Imada, Sarubin & Wrzesniewski, 1999). Despite this, there is relatively limited research that

has examined the influence of dietary and lifestyle choices such as vegetarianism, and in

particular veganism, on wellbeing, identity, and disordered eating (Bardone-Cone et al.,

2012; Dyett, Sabaté, Haddad, Rajaram & Shavlik, 2013; Radnitz, Beezhold & DiMatteo,

2015). For this reason, the present study will explore young women’s experiences of

veganism and their psychosocial relationship to food.

Food and Psychosocial Wellbeing

Psychosocial wellbeing can be defined as the intersection and synergy between social,

cultural and psychic processes and elements of self (Lucey, Melody, & Walkerdine, 2003). In

today’s societies, food has a deep symbolic meaning, and is more than just a source of

nutrients (Lindeman & Sirelius, 2001; Rozin, 2005). Food has become a social agent used by

people to interact with one another and establish social connections. Accordingly, given its

social significance, food and dietary choice are now positioned as an important component of

people’s identity and self-image. From a psychosocial perspective, food is often a salient

factor contributing to wellbeing, but also to disorders such as disordered eating. For example,

choosing a particular dietary lifestyle is an expression of the self, and sharing a dietary

lifestyle with others helps facilitate a sense of social connection (Dyett, et al., 2013; Fox &

Ward, 2008). In addition, the symbolic connection between food and perceived physical

attractiveness, means that food is intrinsically tied to emotion and self-esteem.

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 3

It also appears that because of gendered beauty ideals, women’s psychosocial

relationship to food is more complex and problematic than men’s (Cheney, 2011; Lake,

Staiger & Glowinski, 2000). In particular, the internalisation of skewed ideals of thinness as

beauty, may put women at risk of becoming dissatisfied with their own bodies (Grabe, Ward

& Hyde, 2008). This dissatisfaction can have a negative impact on women’s mental health,

their sense of connection to their social worlds, and their eating behaviours. For example, it

has been reported that body image dissatisfaction and concern about calories can result in the

replacement of pleasant, instinctive feelings associated with eating, with feelings of guilt and

anxiety (Rozin, Bauer & Catanese, 2003).

Vegetarianism, Veganism and Psychosocial Wellbeing

Given the importance of food to the ways we perceive ourselves within our social

worlds, and ultimately to our health and wellbeing, research has begun to examine the

psychosocial importance of dietary choice. Vegetarians do not consume meat, poultry, fish or

seafood (Hoffman, Stallings, Bessinger, & Brooks, 2013). Vegans exclude meat, poultry,

fish, seafood, dairy, eggs and any other animal-derived food from their diet (Greenebaum &

Dexter, 2017; Timko, Hormes & Chubski, 2012). There has been an increase worldwide in

the number of people adopting these diets. A 2016 poll found that in the UK the number of

vegans increased from 150.000 to 542.000 within a decade (Hancox, 2018). In America, “the

number of vegans grew by 600% from nearly 4 million in 2014 to 19.6 million in 2017”

(https://www.vegansociety.com). Vegetarianism and veganism are associated with many

health benefits, such as lower risk of cardiovascular diseases (Bardone-Cone et al., 2012;

Radnitz et al., 2015; Rajaram & Sabaté, 2000), lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol and

reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer (Alewaeters, Clarys, Hebbelinck,

Deriemaeker & Clarys, 2005). Vegetarianism and veganism are also associated with a moral

and ethical stance, and can be an identity component based on core ethical values (Stets &
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 4

Burke, 2000). For example, research suggests that veganism can become a form of activism,

a political diet that allows individuals to align their dietary choices to their ethics and morals

and act as allies for exploited animals (Chuck, Fernandes & Hyers, 2016; Hirschler, 2011;

Paxman, 2016).

Despite its potential health benefits, and its role in one’s identity formation,

vegetarianism has been found to be associated with dietary restriction. An extensive amount

of research has investigated the role played by vegetarianism in people’s weight-control

behaviours and eating disorders. Ryan (1997) found that 75% of female adolescents who had

reduced their meat consumption, were more likely to want to be slimmer and had attempted

to lose weight more often, than the females who had not lowered their meat consumption.

Society’s ideals of thinness and beauty and today’s dietary recommendations of reducing

one’s fat intake, in particular animal derived fat, are two possible factors that have connected

vegetarianism and weight control (Gilbody, Kirk, & Hill; 1998). It has also been suggested

that modern capitalist society positions young women to seek external sources of self-esteem

(competition, academics, appearance), rather than internal (virtue, family, religion) sources

(Liu & Huang, 2018).

Vegetarianism and veganism are often seen as diets that can become a more social

and acceptable way to validate one’s food avoidance and calorie restriction (Bardone-Cone et

al., 2012). If not addressed, food restriction can progress into more severe and disordered

patterns, characteristics of eating disturbances, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

(Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2000). People with eating disorders report high levels of anxiety

associated with eating behaviours (Webb et al., 2011). Food can become a source of stress,

eliciting a strong anxiety response. It is argued that disordered eating can be seen as a

continuum with normal dieting on one end and clinically diagnosed eating disorders on the

other end (Patton et al., 1997; Shisslak, Crago & Estes, 1994). Therefore, the focus is no
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 5

longer on whether or not the individual has a certain disorder but rather on the severity of the

symptoms (Eddy & Kim, 2016; Szmukler, 1985). This could explain the great number of

studies, which found that patients with eating disorders were more likely to be following a

vegetarian diet than an omnivorous diet (Alloway, Reynolds, Spargo & Russel, 1985;

Forestell, Spaeth & Kane, 2012; Gilbody, et. al., 1998; Kadambari, Gowers & Crisp, 1986).

Veganism as a Means of Healing One’s Relationship to Food. Most research on

the psychosocial significance of dietary choice has focused on vegetarianism, as well as links

to disordered eating. There is a need for more research to examine a broader range of

experiences with a vegan diet. For example, recently, many young women have used social

media to share their experiences of veganism and have emphasised the effect veganism has

had on their relationship to food. Many have argued that veganism has actually helped them

heal their negative relationship to food and overcome their disturbed eating behaviours and

eating disorders (Anonymous, 2015; Briones, 2015; Holland, 2016; Ribar, 2016). For

example Jasmine Briones, an American influential vegan Youtuber, has shared the role

played by veganism in her relationship to food. In her in-depth online blog post, Briones

(2015) shares her personal experience of veganism and discusses how through a transforming

learning experience veganism has helped improve her relationship to food and helped heal

her disordered eating. Briones talks about how in her first year of college, her need for

acceptance and her wish to be able to look in the mirror and love her own self led her to

restrict her caloric intake to lose weight. This harmful desire of further restricting her food

intake led her to research online the best ways to lose weight fast. This is when Briones came

across Veganism and for the first time. Briones revealed that she initially used veganism to

restrict calories and became ill. Gradually over time, Briones educated herself on veganism

and began eating for health and liking herself for who she is. She is now an advocate for a

vegan lifestyle. Recent research suggests that these experiences may not be isolated to a
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 6

handful of individuals. According to Paxman (2016 and Wilson (2019), veganism can be a

powerful way of life that helps shape identity and the ways vegans interact with others.

McDonald (2000) suggests that one of the seven elements that leads the individual to become

vegan is learning. This learning process involves researching information that eventually

broadens one’s knowledge on environmental matters and animal cruelty. The acquisition of

this knowledge is often a catalytic experience that motivates the individual to change their

entire lifestyle (Ferree & Miller, 1985; Cherry, 2015; Greenebaum, 2012). As currently there

is limited research evidence, there is a need for research into the psychosocial processes

involved with being vegan.

Aims

The present study seeks to fill the significant gap in the existing literature by

exploring the role that veganism can play in young women’s relationship to food and

psychosocial wellbeing. This study will focus on the psychosocial significance of a vegan

diet for young females.

Methodology

Design

The present research was informed by a constructivist epistemology. A key tenet of

the constructivist paradigm is that there is no objective truth nor meaning to be discovered, as

knowledge is constructed through the interaction between the subject and the object (Crotty,

1998). Consistent with this framework, a qualitative research design was adopted to explore

the role that veganism plays in young women’s psychosocial wellbeing. A qualitative

methodology emphasises the importance of meanings and seeks to further understand how

individuals experience and make sense of the world around them (Pietkiewicz & Smith,

2012). Due to the nature of the research, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 7

regarded as the most suitable approach to use. IPA draws on the theoretical principles of

Phenomenology, Hermeneutics and Idiography. Phenomenology, a method developed by

Edmund Husserl, is concerned with the individual’s unique account of an object or

experience (Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2012). Therefore, based on this principle, IPA enables the

researcher to further investigate how singular individuals make sense of a certain

phenomenon under investigation, in this case the role of veganism in relation to one’s

relationship to food and psychosocial wellbeing, and recognise its essential components

(Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2012; Smith, Jarman, & Osborn, 1999).

A key principle underlying IPA is acknowledgment that description and interpretation

are intertwined (Eatough & Smith, 2017; Willig, 2013). IPA involves a double hermeneutic

of the researcher trying to interpret or make sense of a participant’s description/ sense making

during the interview process. There are also different layers of interpretation in which the

researcher adopts a hermeneutic of empathy together with a hermeneutic of suspicion

(Eatough & Smith, 2017). A hermeneutic of empathy involves trying to understand and

empathise with the participant’s standpoint. Whereas a hermeneutic of suspicion involves

probing for psychological meaning that goes beyond what the participant is perhaps willing

or able to do themselves (Eatough & Smith, 2017). In probing for meaning in this way, we

aim for theoretical generalisation (Tracy, 2010), where the psychosocial processes derived

through analysis inform our broader understanding of the relationships between diet and

wellbeing. We also present personal statements for each participant (Table 1), and illustrative

quotes from participants in the findings, so that the participants’ experiences resonate with

the reader’s personal experiences, facilitating naturalistic generalisation (Smith, 2018).

Personal reflexivity

Research informed by a qualitative methodology, recognises the importance of

locating and highlighting the central voices informing the research process (Medico &
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 8

Santiago-Delefosse, 2014; Gough & Madill, 2012; Guillemin & Gillam, 2004; Wilkinson,

1988; Willig, 2013). This paper has been heavily informed by the standpoint of the first

author who identifies as vegan and the second author who has a non-vegan diet but who

gained interest through listening to the first author’s accounts. The second authors role was to

assist the first author throughout the research process and to also reflect and critically engage

on her relationship and motivation for conducting the study, and the ways it has informed the

study aims, design and analysis.

I [first author] have struggled with food related anxiety, harmful weight-control

behaviours and body-image for many years. It needs to be acknowledged that my own

experiences have been shaped by the society I live in. My history of unhealthy eating

behaviours and my own struggles with my body have been conditioned by the western ideals

of beauty. These unrealistic beauty ideals and the pressure that today is placed on women and

their bodies have led me to research ways I could use to transform my own body to fit

society’s beauty standards. This is how I first came in contact with veganism. At the

beginning, I went vegan with the desire of further restricting my calorie intake through a

more socially accepted way. However, by slowly educating myself on the ethical,

environmental and health related ideas promoted by veganism, I have been able to experience

a shift in the way I look at food, which in turn has helped me start my own journey of healing

my relationship with food. Taking this account, each step of the research process was

significantly influenced by my own personal experiences. From the research question to the

sampling criteria and the interview schedule, each step of this research was influenced by my

own relationship to food and the meaning I have given to veganism, as well as by my gender

identity and age. Sharing similar experiences with the research participants also created a safe

and non-judgmental space where participants might have felt more comfortable opening up

about their own accounts of veganism, and struggles with eating disturbances. This may have
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 9

been different if I had not been vegan and had not shared similar experiences of veganism,

food restriction, and struggles with body-image.

Procedure

Ethics approval was obtained from a University Human Research Ethics Committee.

Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. An online advertisement was

published on the Facebook group page ‘Vegan Girls Melbourne’ as well as on the first

author’s Facebook page. The advertisement called for young women who were interested in

sharing their experiences of Veganism. Interested participants then contacted the researcher/

interviewer by phone or email to arrange an interview. The researcher explained the aims of

the research, and the expectations and rights of potential participants. Consent was obtained

both orally and through a signed consent form. Semi-structured interviews ranged from 30 to

60 minutes were conducted and digitally recorded. Two were phone interviews and eight

were face-to-face. All face-to-face interviews were carried out at three different cafés located

in Melbourne. Participants were made aware of the limits to confidentiality of being

interviewed in a public space, and agreed to these locations. The interview schedule explored

participants’ individual and unique experience of veganism, their personal meaning of

veganism, what challenges they faced and consequences of becoming vegan. Questions also

assessed participants’ relationship to food prior to and after going vegan. Examples include

“could you please talk about your relationship to food prior to going vegan?”, and “has your

relationship to food changed after going vegan”. Overall, circa 6 hours of material were

collected with each interview ranging between 45 and 60 minutes.

Participants

In total, ten participants participated in this study. The demographic information

emerged during the course of the interviews. All ten participants were women who identified

as vegan and were between the ages of 18 and 25. Nine participants were Australian, and one
 YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 10

was American. In line with qualitative methodology, participants’ demographic details are

presented in Table 1 in a qualitative format for contextual purposes. In order to protect the

confidentiality of the participants, participant’s names have been replaced with pseudonyms.

Table 1

Participant demographic information

Ana, 24, became vegan in 2017 after researching veganism following a discussion with some vegan friends. Prior
to going vegan she had been vegetarian for 8 years. Initially, veganism helped Ana hide her negative eating
behaviours. However, learning more about the ethical and environmental issues of consuming animal products
helped her transition to more healthy eating behaviours.

Billie, 21, is VCE educated and works in hospitality. Billie lives with her non-vegan mum and step-dad. Since
Billie has adopted a vegan lifestyle, both her mum and step-dad have decreased their consumption of animal
products. Billie decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle in 2016 after several years following a vegetarian diet because of
her compassion for the animals. Through veganism she learnt to stand up for animals whose voices are silenced,
and take better care of her health.

Nadia, 20, does not want to leave any marks on the planet after she is gone. She is vegan and low waste. At the
time of the interview, Nadia was in a relationship with a non-vegan partner and was struggling to navigate the
relationship due to moral and ethical differences.

Carrie, 22, is VCE educated and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a vegan lifestyle. Her concern for animal
treatment was a catalyst for change. At the time of the interview, she lived with her family and worked as a
bartender. Since adopting a vegan diet, she feels more enthusiastic about her everyday life and feels more
energetic.

Grace, 19, adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2016. Her decision has been influenced by her sister. Grace lives with her
supportive parents and older brother. She completed an advanced diploma of screen and media and works as a
camera operator. Since becoming vegan, she has discovered a new interest in cooking. In particular, she is really
interested in re-creating non-vegan foods using vegan ingredients.

Jess, 23, is an American youtuber and vegan influencer. She completed a bachelor degree in Nutritional Science.
She went vegan when she was 18 and in 2013 she opened her personal website to share her vegan journey and her
vegan recipes. Jess decided to make veganism her mission, teaching people about veganism, health, and animal
ethics.

Julia, 21, lives with her family who is very supportive of her vegan lifestyle. She transitioned from vegetarian to
vegan together with her sister in 2015. For her, social media was the biggest source of information about veganism.
The main reason behind her vegan lifestyle is environmental. She stands by the idea of living a more sustainable
life and leaving a minimal footprint.

Mel, 23, works as a police officer. She went vegan in 2016. At the time of the interview, she was in a 3-year
relationship with her vegan boyfriend. She likes to educate people on the ethical, health and environmental issues
behind the consumption of animal products.

Miranda, 20, is a make-up artist who, at the time of the interview, was in a relationship with a non-vegan partner
who had drastically reduced the consumption of animal products and had started considering transitioning to a
vegetarian diet. Miranda adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2016 after being vegetarian for several years. Miranda has a
history of binge eating and calorie restriction. She believes that veganism helped her eat more mindfully.

Rebecca, 23, was living with her family and vegetarian partner. Both her parents and partner later transitioned to
veganism. She completed a bachelor of Psychology and at the time was studying a graduate diploma in
 YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 11

Psychology. She firstl did a 30-day vegan challenge inspired by the diet book “Skinny Bitch”, but after doing her
own research, she decided to completely embrace a vegan lifestyle. This decision was driven by her ethics around
animal cruelty and her health.

Analysis

The semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed

following IPA guidelines (Eatough & Smith, 2017; Smith et al.,1999; Willig, 2013).

Although the steps are described in a linear fashion, analysis was an iterative process moving

from ‘presuppositions’ to interpretation and back again. Firstly, each transcript was read

several number of times in order to gain a deeper understanding of each individual

experience. Potentially significant insights were noted down on the left-side margin of the

document. The next stage of analysis involved the identification and labelling of emergent

themes which were noted on the other side of the margin, such as: love for the animals,

relationship to food, mental health, physical health, and social health etc. Emerging themes

were then listed on a separate sheet to facilitate clustering/ identification of connections

between themes. For instance, mental health, physical health and social health were clustered

together as positive aspects of veganism perceived by participants. A summary table was then

produced with cluster themes and quotations from the interview transcript. The final stage of

analysis involved integration of cases, individual summary tables were consolidated to

generate a list of master themes and their constituent themes. A diagram (see Figure 1.) was

then created to facilitate the presentation of each themes and corresponding sub-themes and

represents a process of change. The co-authors were involved in discussions regarding coding

and interpretation throughout the analysis process, often using a whiteboard to discuss and

work through the clustering of themes.

Findings and Discussion

The main focus of the present study was to explore the role of veganism in young women’s

relationship to food and psychosocial wellbeing. The women spoke in terms of comparisons
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 12

between their past non-vegan and current vegan lifestyle, and in terms of a personal narrative

with a past, a present, and an imagined future. As such, analysis revealed a process of change

beginning with ethical motivation and culminating with healing through connection with

others (Figure 1). This psychosocial healing process, described by participants, and

explicated in analysis, is the focus of our discussion.

Consistent with past research (Lindeman & Sirelius, 2001; Rozin, 2005), the women

spoke about the ethics underpinning their transition to veganism. The women’s strong ethical

stance towards animal rights, provided the energy and is the catalyst for them to adopt a

vegan lifestyle. Participants saw veganism as a means by which they could express their

ethical and moral beliefs, particularly their love for animals and the importance of avoiding

any type of animal cruelty. Consistent with past research (Fox & Ward, 2008; Rosenfeld &

Burrow, 2017), this transition and commitment involves a process of identification with the

vegan sub-culture as different from mainstream society. In choosing to join a vegan sub-

culture group, the women gained solidarity with a new in-group, grew through learning about

food, but also experienced stigma and disconnection from mainstream society. In particular,

most women experienced some degree of disconnection with non-vegan individuals based on

frustration with non-vegans’ perceived disinterest in learning the reasons behind their

transition to veganism. Going vegan was more than just a change in their diet, “its a lifestyle

change, is a long term thing”. Participants’ adoption of veganism as a profound lifestyle

change has also had a significant influence on their overall self, identities and life whereby

“Veganism became a big part of me and my life” “veganism is my lifestyle (Hirschler, 2011;

Paxman, 2016). I like how it represents who I am”, “Veganism is like who I am now. It’s like

your morals, I am always thinking and it’s like every decision”.

This transition and commitment to a new lifestyle and identity involved education

about the importance of veganism and about healthy eating. Once on this path, these women
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 13

recounted a series of transformations, which provide a deeper connection and sense of

belonging, as well as greater empathy and compassion. Veganism appeared to play a

significant role for these young women by bringing about profound healing, which has

positively impacted several aspects of their lives including their relationship with themselves,

others, animals, and the environment.

Ethics
Vegan for the animals

Identification with Vegan lifestyle

Vegan subculture More than a diet
Learning and Healthier eating
disconnection
Inadequacy and stigma

Healing through
connection
The sense of self
With animals
With others and life in
general

Figure 1. Young Vegan Women’s process of change

There is currently little information on the healing potential of veganism. As such, the

following findings focus on the healing through connection superordinate theme. These

healing experiences are explored through the three themes of 1, Healing sense of self, 2,

Healing relationship with animals and the environment 3, Healing relationships with others

and life in general. A detailed explanation of each theme will be presented below along with
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 14

illustrative texts in support of these themes. In line with Smith, Flowers & Larkin (2009),

table two includes the prevalence of themes according to each participant.

Table 2. Table of prevalence: Number of Quotes per Theme and Participant

Themes Relationship with self Relationship with animals Relationship with others/
environment
Participants
Ana 4 0 0
Billy 7 7 5
Nadia 4 5 4
Carrie 5 2 4
Grace 5 6 4
Jess 3 4 4
Julia 7 0 4
Mel 5 12 4
Miranda 3 4 4
Rebecca 5 3 3

Healing the Self: “I’m more aware”

For some participants, veganism is a lifestyle that has positively changed who they are. It

appeared that this healing processes involves letting go of old habits that entailed a lack of

connection, control and care. Instead, the women embraced conscious/active decision

making, and gaining a sense of control over their diet and eating practices. The women

explained that this has helped them improve the way they take care of themselves and

therefore healed the relationship with their own bodies and minds. Billie explains:

So before I was vegan and vegetarian like I didn’t care about my health at all. I just

ate whatever I wanted to eat. I ate McDonalds four times a week and I never thought

that was a bad diet because I’ve always been skinny so like ‘oh I’m healthy’. Now

like I look at food differently, and probably more like…I’m like ‘oh yeah that’s junk

food, that’s healthy food, that’s good for your soul, that’s gonna make me feel better

than eating a massive pile of junk food.

Billie highlights how embracing veganism has improved her relationship to food by making

her more health conscious. This seems to reveal that for Billie, food has become a conduit of
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 15

the self. As a result, she now cares about herself, and uses food to nourish the self.

Previously, there was a lack of reflection on health, where being skinny was enough, which

has been transformed into eating for wellbeing. For Miranda, going vegan helped her with

eating disturbances and improved her mental wellbeing:

Before going vegan, I sort of was a bit of a binge-eater. I had like a slight binge eating

disorder and sometimes would be like on the verge of being bulimic. I’d just eat and

not think about what I was eating usually. That’s when the weight sorted of started

gaining so from there I would try starve myself with small amount of meals, not a

healthy approach to it. […] I just ate if food was there like if I was sad or bored I’d

keep eating. I was just never…I never really enjoyed food for what it was. I would

just eat to be full or sick […] Now being vegan I’m more aware of what I am

actually putting into my body […] I’m thinking about what I’m making. I’m choosing

what to cook for each meal like I actually go shopping and enjoy buying food. It’s

like it [veganism] made me look at food healthier. I’m just more aware of what I’m

buying and what I’m eating so that’s been really positive. […] I haven’t done any

binge eating sort of stuff because I haven’t felt like I need to, so I just feel like my

body just feels better in general.

There is consistency in many of the women’s testimony where prior to veganism their focus

was on weight but not health. This led Miranda to harmful cycles of binging, purging and

starving. However, embracing this vegan lifestyle helped Miranda heal this harmful way of

eating. There is now a strong sense of agency in the way Miranda talks about food. She is

aware of how food makes her feel, and chooses accordingly. Similarly, Ana explained how a

vegan diet has helped her transition from food restriction to healthy eating, and has increased

her self-love:

I went through a massive life change in January, which messed up my mental

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 16

health and my way of copying was to not eat and to limit my food and being vegan

sort of aided that… I didn’t have to eat certain food and I could hide it by saying “oh

I’m vegan I can’t eat that”. Up until recently, I was hardly eating but now that I am

better I see food a lot differently and I see it as nourishing and healthy…with the

animals as well. I’m helping them yeah like I definitely see it as what I put in my

body I am doing a good thing. When I eat vegan it makes me happy now because

I’m like I feel good about what I’m eating yeah

Rebecca explains that she also related food to weight, but now relates food to health:

Prior to going vegan, I was pretty obsessed with food and my weight and my image.

I would definitely weigh myself every single day. I’d think about food way too much

and what to eat and uhm…with way too sort of restriction on myself, and then sort of

binge…it’s taken maybe a year into it [veganism] and then I’ll just…I’d see food like

fuel but also just whatever. Like I don’t really think about it that much as long as it’s

vegan. I have a way healthier relationship with my body and I never weigh myself.

This perceived improvement in their relationship to food appears to be the result of the sense

of control and empowerment, along with increased knowledge of the food, body, and mind

relationships. It seems that veganism is offering women ways to resist habits of

disconnection, and instead make a deliberate investment of self in an ethically guided

lifestyle. In this way, veganism can be seen as having deep symbolic meaning for participants

(Lindeman & Sirelius, 2001; Rozin, 2005), adding an important dimension to their identities

(Dyett, et al., 2013). The healing reported by the women seems to involve growth in terms of

knowledge, investment of self, and identity characteristics. Healing also appeared to involve

moving on from past experiences. This healing process reflects current holistic perspectives

on psychosocial growth and wellbeing (e.g., Joseph, Linley& Harris, 2005; Papadopoulos,

2007), where positive change follows adversity. For these women, it appeared that veganism
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 17

was the catalyst for positive personal development, and the healing of fractured relationships

with food and in some cases disordered eating (Patton et al., 1997).

It seems that the women’s relationship to food is not just gendered (Cheney, 2011)

and informed by socio-cultural norms on beauty, but is also underpinned by global capitalism

(Watson & Caldwell, 2005). Eating patterns have shifted greatly in the last few decades

whereby food, particularly processed food, is easily accessible, inexpensive, and convenient

(Cheney, 2016). The women appear to have made a conscious choice to resist these trends.

Healing One’s Relationship to Animals: “I need to do something”

The participants revealed that by being exposed to veganism, they were able to act on their

ethics and make profound connections between animal products and the cruelty behind them.

I went vegan basically for the animals […] I was always a big animal lover but never

really quite make the connection and then once I did, I realised I couldn’t fund that

anymore. [ I made the connection] through Freelee the banana girl on YouTube. She

kinda opened me up to the idea of veganism. At first, I was very resistant to what she

was saying but it kinda sparked me to do my own research from what she was saying

[…] and then Earthlings, that cemented it for me. […] The thought of eating meat

again is sickening […] even the thought of eggs now really grosses me out […]. It’s

not even food anymore […] like I can’t help but think about animals’ meat as if it was

my own like it’s just disgusting.

Mel explains that learning about animal cruelty in meat production has strengthened her

animal empathy and connected this empathy to animal products such that meat and eggs elicit

an automatic and powerful adverse response (McDonald, 2000). Extending past research, this

broadened knowledge not only leads to change in lifestyle (Miller, 1985), but also affords

vegans with a sense of activism and synthesis between their actions and beliefs. This
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 18

activism can provide women a sense of purpose and even redemption. On this account, Grace

says:

I started kinda going off meat cause I didn’t like it and I looked into the ethical stuff

and I am very passionate about animals and I just thought this isn’t cool and then I

went vegetarian and then vegan […] I learnt what veganism was and what

vegetarianism was and I kinda just wanted to get onto it and I remember before I was

vegetarian my sister brought home a few pamphlets from animal Australia and I read

them and cried and I was like ‘I need to do something’.

Similar to Mel, for Grace, veganism helped develop a passionate emotional connection to

animals and a disgust for animal cruelty. It was clear for most of the women that this

emotional connection had become part of their self and identity. Nadia further explains that

she feels empowered to act on her change of thinking towards animal products:

In the past five or so years, I’ve always kinda knew what I was doing was wrong

when I was eating animal products but it was so easy to pretend it was not going on,

and then once I started opening myself up to veganism it was just okay I can’t stop

you know. I just gotta…you know all of this information is out there and all this

knowledge…I cannot be wilfully ignorant. It does frustrate me. Now I’m like

veganism is one of my core values, it’s a huge part of me. I cannot imagine living

in any other way than I am right now, only improving on what I am doing.

The process of healing for these women is multifaceted. The knowledge gained regarding

animal cruelty connects with existing animal empathy, amplifying it and connecting it to

food. There is also a sense of a strong connection being made between empathic emotion and

cognitive awareness of a social problem. In undertaking a vegan lifestyle, the women are

enacting these thoughts and feelings in a powerful, personal form of agency that strengthens

the self. The self is enhanced through knowing that one is living according to deeply felt
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 19

principals, and that one’s actions are contributing to animal welfare. In addition, the vegan

lifestyle entails emotional, cognitive and behavioural investment in one’s social world. As

such, a vegan lifestyle appears to promote a mindful connection with the social world, which

in many of the participants’ lives, replaced a disconnection with the social world, a

preoccupation with body image, and disordered eating. These findings highlight the potential

of a vegan lifestyle for improving the psychosocial wellbeing of young women with complex

and sometimes problematic relationships to food. These women demonstrate that veganism

can influence multiple levels of the self (identity, cognition, emotion, behaviour), making it

potentially a powerful driver of healing and growth. This might be contrasted to current

psychosocial interventions that focus on only cognitive and behavioural aspects of young

women’s relationships with food (Eddy & Kim, 2016).

Even though these connections and investments presented at an individual level, it

could also be read as a form of resistance to the commodification of animals by a capitalist

global system (Turner, 1988). This system is premised on invisibility, exploitation, and

disconnection to animal life, enabling the abusive treatment of animals. Participants

challenge binaries between human and non-human by empathising with animals, and

including them within their moral scope of justice (Bastian & Loughnan, 2017).

Healing One’s Relationship to People: Forging connections between self, others and

beyond

Participants reported that adopting veganism as a core part of their identity has helped them

achieve a new sense of belonging. This sense of belonging encompassed two main features: a

deeper connection to the world, and an increase in their sense of altruism and pro-social

behaviour. Several participants clearly expressed that becoming vegan had changed the way

they thought about animals and the people around them. As a result, participants reported

developing a deeper connection to the people and life in general. For example, Rebecca
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 20

reported:

Veganism made me a lot more other-centred rather than ego-centric uhm…I have

a lot more compassion to any animals that I interact with, people as well. It’s because

of that sort of connection that starts, you know…everyone feels, everyone thinks and

everyone…every life is worth it. I see the world differently now. I see the world and

the environment and the creatures in it differently. Uhm…you know… I try to avoid

harm wherever possible in my life.

Similarly, Carrie explains:

I think it [veganism] definitely changed the way I think… like when I do things I

definitely think about the consequences and how they are going to affect others, not

necessarily in relation to animals but like I see more…I know like that when you

make a choice…the ripple effect....it affects others and I think that I have changed

the way I think about my action. I’m a little more aware now.

Carrie demonstrates here that applying her knowledge and feelings to a vegan lifestyle

reinforces her agency and her willingness and ability to affect others. This allows Carrie to be

more thoughtful and considerate of her actions towards people as well as animals. Jasmine

describes not only an improved outlook on life but a willingness to lead others towards a

better life:

I think I have a more positive outlook on life. I feel like I’ve grown a passion for

something I wasn’t passionate about before, and I really want to make it uhm…I

guess my mission to help others improve their health and uhm…help others realise

they can do so much more with their life and be more compassionate.

And Julia:

I’ve become a bit kinder in everything I do. Veganism is about being compassionate

in every aspect of your life, like you say that you love animals or you’re an
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 21

environmentalist or you’re trying to like… leave a minimal footprint like it’s part of

being a vegan I guess.

Similarly, Carrie explains:

I generally just became a more positive person. I am not sure what that had to do

with it but I don’t know I just felt like I was waking up to do…to make a change…I

don’t know, it [veganism] sort of changed me as a person entirely. Before this

[going vegan] I wanted to be a police officer and I wanted to help people but now I’m

more so wanting to uhm…like work to make the environment more sustainable and

aid wild life and stuff like that.

There is also a paradox here in that the participants revealed feeling a disconnection from

non-vegan individuals based on knowledge of animal welfare. This frustration appeared to

relate to non-vegans’ disinterest in learning the reasons behind their transition to veganism

resulting in frustration and at times anger. For example, Mel explains:

It was my first Christmas as a vegan and my family in the morning all had poached

eggs and I....I had to leave the dinner table…like I was uncomfortable. It can be really

frustrating sitting at dinner with them while they are eating meat…and I can

kinda…and they are eating dairy or eggs…kinda thinking ‘you would not be eating

that if you would read something that I said to you or whatever’. So I can find it

frustrating like the ignorance… they do not want to learn. The information [on the

ethical reasons behind veganism] is there and they do not want it and same for my

family, I can feel really frustrated with them, I guess angry sometimes.

It appeared that what participants found frustrating was that the perceived ignorance of non-

vegans could also result in anger towards vegans. For example, Rebecca explains:

I think people who have these negative opinions about veganism…they do it to cover

up their own guilt and their cognitive-dissonance…it [consuming and purchasing

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 22

animal products] is not the right thing to do and they cannot really cope with it so

instead they make fun [of veganism] and try to poke holes in the arguments of vegans.

Commonly, the women spoke about veganism improving their diets by increasing the range

of foods they ate, and were frustrated that non-vegans perceived their lifestyle as restrictive.

Julia explained:

When I first like told my friends and stuff that I was going vegan, they thought I was

going to turn into this cruel stick and like not be able to eat anything but grass and

lettuce.

People often think we get sick a lot and that we’re not getting enough protein or iron,

which I can back that up by saying it’s not true with my own personal experience.

Prior to going vegan, I used to get sick quite often and at the age of 15, I had a blood

test and I was anaemic and at that time I was a meat eater. I had a blood test three

months ago and my blood count was perfect, I wasn’t low in iron or b12 and I know

for a fact that I get enough protein. Also, people think we are all skinny and I’m the

living example of this stereotype [laughs] but I was all stick and bones prior to going

vegan so this is purely within my genetics to be like this.

The presence of this stereotype means that vegans must defend their position. The women

were also aware of other vegans who were less healthy in their vegan diets.

Often people say that they felt really bad because of the vegan diet because they

weren’t doing it properly and didn’t know much about it…I think that more people

would benefit from like more information about it being put out there.

The notion of connecting to humans and the environment is related to trying to make life

meaningful in an individualistic culture where disconnection from the environment is a

dominant tenant (Turner, 1988). It seems veganism is offering these women ways of making

meaning in life beyond individualistic culture by making passionate connections between

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 23

themselves and social causes. They have also learned and acknowledged the power of their

agency, and the “rippling effect” between self, others and the environment. In this way

veganism can be seen as almost a religion in a modern capitalist world. Another way to

understand this is that veganism has become a ‘political diet’ through which the women can

engage in activism (Chuck, Fernandes & Hyers, 2016; Paxman, 2016). This strongly supports

the concept that foods and food choice can acquire a symbolic function and can be adopted to

express one’s ideals and beliefs (Lindeman & Sirelius, 2001; Rozin, 2005). By changing their

lifestyle as well as their diet, the women made a profound identification as vegan, which

appeared to improve their relationship to food as well as their sense of wellbeing. This

improvement may function partly through an increased focus on internal sources of self-

esteem (pride in living ethically and morally), and a decreased focus on external sources

(appearance, body image) (Liu & Huang, 2018).

Participants revealed making what they referred to as an “ethical connection” between

animal cruelty and the consumption and purchase of animal products. This supports the idea

that catalytic experiences can motivate the individual to change their lifestyle and embrace

veganism by revising their consciousness and making them, for the first time, aware of the

cruelty behind the consumption and purchase of animal products (McDonald, 2000; Ferree &

Miller, 1985). This lifestyle was the catalyst for healing relationships and a stronger

engagement with and connection to society.

Conclusions

The aim of this qualitative research was to investigate young vegan women’s relationship to

food and psychosocial wellbeing. Participants reported that what initially began as a dietary

restriction based on ethical principles transformed into a lifestyle. The adoption of a vegan

lifestyle led to profound healing of self and social/animal connectedness in a number of

YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 24

women. The healing effects of a vegan lifestyle may have significant implications for

improving young women’s sense of self, psychosocial wellbeing, and connections to their

social and environmental worlds. Participants were no longer concerned with the way food

may impact their bodies, but rather more focused on how, through their food choices, they

could contribute to make a positive change for the animals and the environment. In these

cases, food and diet is no longer experienced as a source of fear, anxiety, and guilt, but

became an aspect of identity with a deeper symbolic meaning through which participants

were able to express their strong morals and ethical stance and heal fractured connections

(Rozin, 2005).

This study also makes some tentative conclusions on the process of healing and

improved psychosocial wellbeing through veganism. We suggest that the new knowledge of

animal cruelty connects with existing animal empathy, amplifying it and connecting it to

food. A strong connection is made between empathic emotion and increased awareness of a

social problem. These thoughts and feelings in ways that afford the young women with a

strong sense of agency and sense of self and stronger emotional (empathic), cognitive

(knowledge of animal cruelty and healthy eating), and behavioural (diet and consumption

choices, actions towards other) investment in their social worlds. We suggest that these

investments enable the women to redefine ways of being and relating to others in a modern,

capitalist world.

The processes of healing through a vegan lifestyle presented here may be particular to

this group of women, who are young, caucasion, middle class, with a self-reported history of

concerns around diet and weight, and who have recently embraced veganism. As such

findings may not representative of other vegans, and research needs to examine processes of

change and healing in other cohorts of women and men. Given the complexities of the young

women’s experiences, future research could engage a case study approach, drawing on
 YOUNG WOMEN’S TRANSITION TO VEGANISM 25

multiple interviews, and other data collection methods such as diaries. In addition, narrative

methodologies may be suited to this topic, as the women in this study tended to express their

experiences as a story of personal transformation. In conclusion, a vegan lifestyle may have

the potential to give meaning in life to disengaged young women, and may help transform

disordered eating and heal fractured connections with their social and environmental worlds.

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