Meat-eaters are 'envious and angry' at vegans, according to new study

Vegans could be responsible for “fear and contempt” among meat-eaters, a new study has found.

Veganism has been a dominating dietary trend in recent years, with three per cent of the world's population opting for a plant-based diet. Alternatives to meat that near-replicate our favourite comfort foods are now readily available in shops, and soy, pea protein, oats, and tofu are rivalling some of our go-to ingredients.

It’s thought that by eating less meat, we're collectively helping to take the equivalent of eight million cars off the road.

However, a new study from the University of Vaasa in Finland suggests that attitudes from meat-eaters towards vegans are still a little ropey.

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3,600 people from four European countries (including 900 from the UK), were analysed on what they associate with making vegan choices, and while many admire their drive to make the world a better place and applaud the environmental effects of their choices, many felt “envy, fear, contempt and anger” at the hands of vegans.

However, it wasn't supermarket protests that sparked those feelings.

As part of the trial, they were each given shopping lists of fictional people, and asked to judge that person based on what they buy.

“When seeing others apply more sustainable ways of consuming food eg consuming meat alternatives, which still feels like something unknown for the individual, it can evoke negative emotions — anger, contempt, fear and envy”, Roosa-Maaria Malila, the co-author of the study told The Times.

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Other countries involved in the study were Germany, Finland, and Sweden, who typically have heavy meat and fish diets, which was noted in their “frowning” at the consumers opting for plant-based alternatives to meat staples.

Meanwhile, those who had an open-minded approach to shopping and purchased a more varied mix of products were considered “socially approachable”.

Make no mistake, meat-eaters were also not exempt from criticism, scoring the lowest in environmental consciousness.

Is this our sign to be kinder to the vegans we love?

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