VB6: Ethical or Health bandaid? Neither? Both?

Zanthia Dwight

Summary:
Dr. Emmerman spoke on the ethical standards of veganism and how meat eating has a huge effect on not just our bodies, but the environment, the lives of animals, and the lives of other humans. Previously Micheal Pollan has been educating us on how eating more vegetables and fruits can increase our lifespan, quality of life, and quality of food by enormous amounts. Changing our eating from mostly processed foods and animal products to a plant-based diet can be extremely beneficial to all humans health.  Dr. Emmerman proposed something that seems a little radical to a lot of Americans who were raised on the traditional diet of "a square meal": lots of carbs, lots of meats, and a sprinkle of veggies and fruits for color, and then PILE ON THAT DAIRY BABY. Cheese, Cheese, cheese, butter, butter, whole milk, creme, yogurt, ice cream, fro-yo, cream cheese, yum. Dr. Emmerman explained that the dairy industry plays its cards right into the beef industry as well, it's unavoidable. Once cows are used up and expired, they are made into beef products, and the constant pregnancies breed calves made into veal, or eventually beef, or more dairy cows. Then we read the Ferguson argument, explaining that it might be more environmentally friendly and ethical to eat the whole animal and not waste parts of it while honoring the animal's life more. This sounds sweet and all, but it's not quite the ethical fix the vegans want, it's more of a bandaid. It is less wasteful and could even provide humans with more of a diverse intake of nutrients from different parts of the animal. But, this diet is still condoning eating animals that have probably endured a terrible life, with its whole purpose for your plate.

Background:
We weigh the options:
1. Eat animals cus we always have so why stop now.
2. Don't eat animals, but still have dairy. (who could survive without milk chocolate and butter?)
3. Eat animals, but eat ones that have only lived "one bad day" - the treatment of them while alive is ethically sound, but I still want meat.
4. Don't eat any animal products, that includes honey, because they don't deserve to be treated this way.
5. Eat animals, but only white meat like fish and poultry. It's healthier than constant artery-clogging red meat!

Then there was something I heard Justin say to Kate, "Only after 6." It stuck in my mind: what was the significance of 6 pm?

6. Vegan Before 6: Be began all day and only eat meat and animal products after 6, but cheat if you need to (many caveats). -Mark Bittman "I feel like I’m starving no matter how much I eat. So I cheat; that isn’t the worst thing in the world either. This isn’t about dogma; it’s about sensibility"(Men's Fitness).


My question: Why is this diet more marketed to men? Why is it appealing?


Mark Bittman came up with VB6 diet to lose weight, be healthier, and support a more sustainable food system.

Mark Bittman, looking fly.

The diet says that you cannot eat processed foods even if they are vegan like Oreos, single serve microwave meals or variations of potatoes. This way of eating is mostly for moderating the number of processed foods and animal products you eat, and if you hate cooking, it's probably not for you. (WebMD, The Kitchen)

The draw to this type of diet is varying, I think American long for an easy way out, always instant gratification, or simple fixes. It’s all we’ve been taught to search for with the type of capitalism we participate in. A lot of Americans also might feel that being vegetarian or vegan you miss out on nutrients (not true, unless you’re a very bad lazy vegan/vegetarian), or you are cheated out of the gourmet delicacies of heavy buttery fats melting in your mouth and ribeye steaks.

Then there is the other layer of vegans/vegetarians being generally thought of as self-righteous “I’m saving the planet and you're destroying it” types. Or the “I am vegan, and meat disgusts me, therefore you eating meat disgusts me” attitude. And sometimes vegetarians are projected as hypocritical like they have one foot in the ethical pool of not harming animals, but they still have dairy, which is still contributing to the system!

Like this: (Music video from Lil Dicky) 

The lyrics I'm talking about: "No, no, I'm vegetarian

Oh right, well we can get half pepperoni

And half of whatever you like

Uh, ew, I can't have that shit

In the same box

Seriously? You're that against meat?

No, I'm that against us being gluttonous

Thinking that animals live on this earth to get eaten.

She like where is my bag?

Oh that leather one next to the trash?

That's the one right? Made out of cow, I think?

So you don't eat the meat, you just be wearing the shit

That's barbaric as shit"

Then there is that constant kicker: fragile masculinity. If you don't eat meat, are you really a man? I've seen men get made fun of for going vegetarian or being vegan, there is something about dead things and killing things that makes men masculine in America. It's a trackable but silly phenomenon. The exception to this rule is Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World's Vegan Powers plug. 

So how do American (men) get out of this terrible plot hole of their masculinity breaking because they decided to go vegan? AH HA! Mark Bittman did it! He found a way to be vegan pretty healthily for himself, and he can still have a bear and be a pit master in the evening with his bros. In the Men's Fitness interview with him, he came off very differently than he did in his own marketing, other "about" pages, and interviews with cooking and health magazines. He didn't need to be fancy and talk about how cooking naturally is really important, he just needed to show that you can still save face with this diet. 

"Men’s Fitness: Why does “vegan before 6” work for you?

Mark Bittman: Eating vegan part of the day works for me because there aren’t too many rules. I can stick with it for the first two-thirds of the day, and then I can eat whatever I want in the evening, thus hanging out with my friends without appearing weird."

He frames his diet is a way that is appealing to many people, especially Americans that don't want to completely give up the foods that are stress relievers in the evenings, or traditional family feasts on holidays or Sunday dinners. It's attractive to men who work long and hard, that doesn't have too much time to exercise and have high risks for health problems, but they still want to have that steak out with their colleagues in the evening on that fancy business trip. He also presents lots of options for those who want to use the diet, and make it easier to do since it can be drastic to cut out of all animal products from your daily life. 

I actually like this idea of making your life a little more vegan. But for once, I think Michael Pollan put it better because saying you are mostly vegan is like saying you are mostly Jewish, except when you go to Catholic mass every Wednesday night, the ideology in presentation is a little conflicting, but the overall message is good. 

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