According to a new poll, more than six million Brits have confessed to lying about being vegan or vegetarian just to offset their ‘green guilt’.
Research conducted by Kia Motors (UK) Limited that surveyed 3,000 UK residents aged between 16 – 60+ years reported that nearly 50% of Brits exaggerated about their green lifestyle after being pressurized by colleagues, friends and family to adopt eco-friendly practices.
The guilty respondents said they suffered a ‘green guilt’ and wanted to follow a sustainable lifestyle owing to increased reports of the devastating effects of meat on health, animals and the planet but couldn’t resist their favourite sausage rolls, bacon baps, ham sarnies and chicken.
More than half (53 percent) admitted they were influenced by colleagues and social media influencers to try a vegan lifestyle.
Poll results
According to Mirror, of the people surveyed, 23 per cent of the Gen-Z population – aged between 18-24 – lied about being vegetarian or vegan.
While the Gen-Z group was the biggest defaulter, around 12 per cent of millennials, aged 25-34, admitted to lying about their diet and 9 per cent of people aged 35-44 confessed to hiding their food habits.
Only four per cent of the Generation X group aged between 45-54 lied about being vegan or veggie.
Veganism is on the rise
Mirror quoted Kia’s spokesperson, Steve Kitson stating: “There is a great deal of attention focused on green issues in society today, and via our research we found that some of the UK public are experiencing ‘green guilt’.”
The report declares that despite some people cheating on their food choices , the vegan community is growing. Currently, there are 600,000 authentic vegans and 3 million vegetarians in the UK.
Lex Rigby, campaigns boss of vegan charity Viva! told Mirror: “Veganism is quite simply the best thing you can do for animals, the planet and your health, and so new vegans should be proud of the choices they make.
“We would urge those who have fibbed about being vegan to give it a go, for real. It is so easy and so accessible, and you will have all the added environmental and health benefits. Veganism is on the rise and shows no sign of slowing down, and so there is no better time to give it a go.”
Eco-friendly cars
The report also highlighted that the UK public lied about other things to make themselves sound more eco-conscious namely: transportation, recycling of clothes and amount of water used while taking showers.
However, nearly 60 per cent of Brits are seriously considering cutting their carbon footprint by opting for electric cars.
While 21% intended to purchase an eco-car within the next 18 months, 77 % said they would buy an eco-car in the next three years.
Share this story to encourage others to give veganism a go for health, animals and the planet.
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
First-ever plant-based training programme to launch in the UK
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 22nd January 2021
“We hope to inspire and empower the next generation of chefs through the HIT course by highlighting just how easy it is to add creative meat-free dishes to menus.” HIT Training has launched a new plant-based culinary school in the UK. The chef academy has teamed up with meat-free pioneer, Quorn to present an eight-month …
Michelin star awarded to a vegan restaurant in France for the first time
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 19th January 2021
Vegan eatery ONA has also been awarded Michelin’s green star – in recognition of its strong ethical practices. A vegan French restaurant has won a Michelin Guide star, the first for an establishment serving only meat-free products in France. Claire Vallee runs the ONA restaurant in the city of Ares, near Bordeaux, in south-west France. …
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …