Why are veg*ns quitting?

I found this report encouraging. The percentage of Americans who are vegetarians has stayed the same - about 2%. The percentage of people who tried, but then quit, vegetarianism has risen from 8% to 10% - but all this means is that more people are trying the vegetarian diet. That's a good thing.

Quite often young people in their teens or early 20s become w veg*n but decide it is not for them, perhaps when they start a family or need to start a manual job, They may just grow out of the sentimental phase as they mature, losing the Disneyesque view of 'gentle' animals realising that real life is quite different,

That's a good thing. The percentage of Americans who are vegetarians has stayed the same - about 2%. The percentage of people who tried.

Same reason humans quit any diet - lack of willpower or changing motivations. Those numbers are disappointing, as an ethical vegetarian who does her best to not contribute to the suffering of non-human animals, but it's not surprising. It's not a gotcha of any kind.

People quit religion, golf, marriages, low fat diets, drinking, gluten, etc. all the time and it rarely makes headlines.

Caving to "feeling left out" means the person isn't strong enough to stand by his/her convictions, if they made the change over ethics. It's terrible for the chicken who got boiled alive so Emma doesn't feel left out, but it's Emma's choice to be apathetic and more worried about what Lisa thinks of her.

I don't have a societal issue. I've been a vegetarian since high school and simply don't go to places that don't have a vegetarian offering that looks good. My friends are real friends - they won't ask me to go to Ruth's Chris. When I decide on dinners out with friends and family, we usually all suggest a place and go to someplace everyone can agree on. I have a friend with a massive deathly peanut allergy, so Thai places are usually out. It's no big deal to any of us.

Because veganism is simply not healthy. Humans are naturally omnivores, and when people go on an unnatural diet like veganism, their body starts to lack nutrients. But people ignore their symptoms and continue their false hope of "saving" animals.

Naw just kidding. The article said "They found that a majority of them lacked social support, vegetarian-themed group activities and didn't like sticking out from their friends. (This corroborates a pretty sizable body of research that suggests you eat what your friends eat.) Other reasons for giving up: having trouble with animal-based cravings and the difficulty of doing anything cold turkey, so to speak."

That doesn't surprise me. The world does not cater to vegans. Things that could be vegan might not be because it contains some sort of cow-derived anti-coagulant, or pig derived lubricant.

Think about going out. Maybe you can try to go to a veggie friendly place. But what if you're invited to some place without such amenities? What if you're going to a friend's house, a wedding reception, a celebratory dinner? I used to work at a restaurant where being vegan wouldn't be advantageous. Most of the foods served were spaghetti and meatballs, deviled eggs, fried ravioli (w/ cheese), and most things were cooked in butter or rendered fat. The vegan option were some crudites.

Honestly, most people don't find it easy to make such a radical lifestyle change. If I were to give up technology, I know I would revert, even though I don't technically "need it". Why? Because our society is so techno-centric. This laptop I'm using right now, the cell phone that allows me to communicate with my family, the graphing calculators I use in class.

ADDENDUM: I read the comments on the article too. A lot of them were from people claiming that they were long time vegetarians and not considering quitting.

That's kind of what happens here, except it's usually a vegan talking about the goodness of veganism, and non-vegans saying how healthy they are on their diet.

I guess different strokes for different folks.

ADDENDUM: Some people have considered veganism a "phase" or "fad diet". Well if you look at it like that, then no, it's not going to sustain.

ADDENDUM: David has made a good point.

I'm not sure if you are looking for a serious answer here. I guess the answer you are looking for is- "Vegans are quitters" and "being vegan is unhealthy". Since 3 out of 4 vegetarians eat meat again...............

Anyway, I think it is because since majority of people are meat eaters, they find it difficult to stay vegan. Some have difficulties going out with their friends, some stop because of bullying, some can't resist the taste of meat, etc...

Anyway, those who stayed vegan are happy that they are no longer contributing to many cruelties people do to animals.

Who can restrain themselves seeing those delicious non-veg dishes!

Most just can't handle it after a while

A lot of people jump on the diet because it is the latest trend, not out of conviction. Then they realize what they have to give up, how awful the meat substitutes can be, and how much cooking they will have to do, not to mention how much time they will spend figuring out what to eat. And vegans have a much bigger challenge than vegetarians. Not to mention that going on a veg*n diet does not usually show any immediate benefit, so those people then decide it just is not worth the effort.

It's probably just a phase that teens go through.