Does taking part in Veganuary put people off meat in the long term? Here’s what the evidence shows
Humans have long wrestled with their conscience about killing and eating animals. The “meat paradox” (the conflict between people’s preference for meat and their concern for animals) may have inspired cave paintings from 37,000 years ago. Since then, many leading thinkers have eschewed meat, including Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Shelley and Mahatma Gandhi.
Today, half of US adults and three-quarters of UK adults oppose the factory farming that produces almost all of their meat, yet only about one in ten follow a meat-free diet.
Plant-based diets are increasingly tasty and cheap in many countries. Adopting them would spare the lives of over 80 billion animals a year and cause 75% less environmental damage than meaty diets.
The benefits of going plant-based on health and longevity are increasingly well established and have prompted an eminent cardiologist to remark: “There are two kinds of cardiologists: vegans and those who haven’t read the data.”
Despite these proven advantages of a vegan diet, most people continue to eat meat, using strategies like “defensive reasoning” or moral disengagement and avoidance to reduce any psychological unease.
Every January since 2014, the Veganuary campaign – which encourages people to eat a plant-based diet in January – has attempted to break down these psychological defences with pictures of cute piglets, fluffy chicks and an invitation to give the challenge a go. Last year, around 25 million people, including about 4% of the UK population joined in.
Research by Veganuary suggests that over 80% of participants maintain large reductions in meat consumption, reducing their intake to half or even more, after six months.
At the University of Exeter, we have independently conducted three online studies of Veganuary participants (a fourth is underway) and found that when people reduce or avoid meat they also start to see meat and themselves differently.
‘Meat disgust’
On average, people report liking meat less, with some even finding it disgusting. This complements our earlier research showing that 74% of vegetarians and 15% of flexitarians find meat disgusting.
Another of our studies (under peer review) suggests that this “meat disgust” runs deep. Those who report it (mainly vegetarians) respond to the idea of eating meat in a similar way to how meat eaters react to the idea of eating faeces, or human or dog flesh.
If such negative feelings emerge when people avoid meat during Veganuary, giving up meat in the long term may not be quite the sacrifice that many would expect. We are now collecting data 12 months on from 100 people who participated in our Veganuary study last year and will see whether negative feelings towards meat predict longer-term changes in meat consumption.
Participating in Veganuary also appears to shift people’s identity from seeing themselves as a meat eater to more of a “meat reducer” or “meat excluder”. These shifts in attitudes and self-perception are associated with greater success in reducing meat consumption during Veganuary.
Some other factors associated with greater success during Veganuary, and beyond, include increased feelings of personal control and improvements in practical skills and knowledge supporting a meat-free diet.
Some of the difficulties that can hinder successful participation in Veganuary include having to navigate food choices in social settings, a lack of plant-based options when eating out, missing non-vegan foods, and the perceived inconvenience of plant-based cooking.
Signing up to the Veganuary campaign to receive their daily emails with recipes, information and top tips is helpful, as are the promotions on vegan food that supermarkets and restaurants offer during Veganuary.
If you’re concerned about swapping meat for plant-based substitutes that can be ultra-processed, recent analyses are reassuring and suggest these are often healthier than meat and are not associated with the increased risk of disease that comes with eating animal-based ultra-processed foods, such as sausages, burgers and ham.
However, if you’re a fan of beans, eating more of them is a great way to maximise health and environmental benefits while saving money.
Our new study aims to provide additional support for Veganuary participants by helping them mentally prepare for common challenges before Veganuary and during the month. By collecting data before and after Veganuary and three months later, we also hope to determine which psychological changes are most predictive of longer-term reductions in meat consumption.
If you’re curious to see how giving up meat might affect you, why not give Veganuary a go?
Natalia Lawrence does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. She is a member of the University of Exeter's Advocate Climate Taskforce and supports initiatives to improve the sustainability of food on campus, including encouraging participation in Veganuary.
Sophie Hearn receives funding from the MRC as part of the GW4 Biomedical doctoral training partnership (https://gw4biomed.ac.uk/). She is also undertaking a 3 month voluntary work placement (which she is required to do as part of her PhD) at Veganuary.
Elisa Becker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.