why you can’t expect people with eating disorders to go vegan

a thread from the perspective of a vegan with an eating disorder

DISCLAIMER: veganism is not a diet. it’s a lifestyle that seeks to exclude exploitation of animals in everything you do and purchase eg. not supporting zoos, purchasing vegan cleaning products, vegan makeup ect

however the diet part of the lifestyle is a very significant part

because we deal with it 3x a day every single day. it’s important to challenge your beliefs about veganism and have some nuance

TW: eating disorders, purging, anorexia, bulimia

1. CHECKING THE BACK OF THE BOX

as a vegan it is quite standard to look at the back of the food product to check the ingredients. for a lot of people with eating disorders, looking at the back of the product is already something they do.

most of the time it’s to check for the calories but for people with bulimia or people who purge will often check ingredients because some ingredients in products are a lot easier to throw up than others. seeing these ingredients and numbers can be extremely triggering for those

trying to recover. continuing these behaviours as a vegan without seeking help to change the thoughts that you associate with this behaviour can lead to relapse or even worsen the disorder

2. THE IDEA OF RESTRICTION

vegans, especially long term vegans know that being vegan isn’t restrictive and we don’t just eat salad. meat, dairy and eggs are only a small part of all the food you can eat on this planet. however for people with ED, restriction and

sticking to ‘safe foods’ is a huge struggle. without proper education and help, it can be extremely difficult for someone with an eating disorder to thrive on eating plant based because of their associations with restriction and cutting certain products out of their diet

although many people can understand and know that there are other alternatives such as mock meats, plant milks and egg replacements/alternatives, for some, trying new foods can be very very hard and emotionally/mentally draining bc of this idea of sticking to ‘safe foods’

3. THE USE OF ‘VEGAN’ IN THE ED COMMUNITY

the ed community tends to use being ‘vegan’ to hide their eating disorder from their friends and family. bc vegetables and fruit are a lot less calorically dense than meat, people with ED like anorexia will gravitate towards

these foods bc of the calorie content and end up eating plant based however this isn’t a way to be conscious of the animals, planet or people. it’s a form of restriction and sticking to ‘safe foods’ like I mentioned earlier

over time, they soon associate being ‘vegan’ with their eating disorder and it can be extremely hard to change that way of thinking without seeking professional help.

To all those with ED,

there is definitely a possibility for recovery through veganism. it has helped myself and many others. however if it is something you are considering, please get proper professional help and educate yourself before jumping right into it

and in saying that, becoming an animal rights activist is not a one size fits all cure or step to recovering. if it doesn’t work for you, don’t feel pressured to make it work. your recovery is your recovery but also don’t let others make you think that recovery through

veganism is not possible. educate yourself and get real help. there are so many wonderful people in the vegan community who can help with suggestions on what to watch, what articles to read ect. and there are plenty of plant based dieticians who can also help you out

To all the vegans

challenge your beliefs. we all understand “as far as practicable and possible” but sometimes we forget to apply it especially when it comes to people with ED purely for the fact that it is never spoken about and the general population doesn’t really understand

eating disorders. if you want to talk to someone about going vegan if they have an ED, do so with kindness and understanding. remember that not everyone understands veganism and all the good it does for animals, the planet and human beings the way you do. be patient. please also

educate yourself about eating disorders so you have a better understanding.

anyways feel free to message me or respond to this thread if you have any questions about what I’ve talked about!

stay kind