Importance of being viewed as healthy??

[unovegan]

After perusing the user picture thread, I was wondering people's thoughts on how important it is for us to be perceived as healthy by non veg folk.

I think it's very important as a selling point to be role models for what a healthy person should look like. I guess in some ways it's sad that this is the case, but that's life.

The super skinny, unhealthy vegetarian stereotype is lame. I haven't really heard a major physical stereotype about vegans yet, but i'm sure there's one brewing out there.

So, I like avoiding all of this by exercising and eating well. After years of lifting weights and doing lots of cardio, I've never been accused of being sickly or skinny or any of that mess.

I think that taking good care of ourselves is a big selling point in itself.

[LyricGaia]

I think taking care of our bodies is just as important as taking care of our pets, or our children. If we abuse ourselves, thats just like abusing someone else.

[Envy]

I strive to be the person that I want to be, if I want to be unhealthy, then so be it. I don't have to act like a role model for other people, unless I plan on getting childs or something like that.




If we abuse ourselves, thats just like abusing someone else.

And why is that so?

[major.walrus]

To be honest, it's kinda sad but I think it's true. I go to the gym mostly because I feel cleaner when i'm in good shape, secondly because I think it would be inconsiderate to get all fat when i'm with someone, but also because I never want people to be able to get away with using me as an example of an unhealthy vegan.

[Pixelle]

I don't think it's a requirement of us veg*ns to look healthy but I think it's better if you do - puts all those generalisations about sickly veg*ns to bed.

[kali]

im not obsessed about exercising and staying healthy but i do like to do a few weights & a bit of cardio mainly for my own benefit but i have to admit that i really dont want to hear "you look a bit sick" coming out of an omnis mouth, so that does motivate me a bit too.

[LyricGaia]

And why is that so?




Why should your own life mean less than your pets or daughters?


Granted, you should save a child or someone else before yourself, but in terms of abuse and not taking care of yourself, you're equal. You wouldn't teach your child bad eating habits on purpose, why should you do it to yourself?

[Envy]

Why should your own life mean less than your pets or daughters?


I think taking care of our bodies is just as important as taking care of our pets, or our children.

Generally, if you take care of someone, it's because they cannot take care of themselves. Even if slightly, I would consider their needs to be above mine.



Granted, you should save a child or someone else before yourself, but in terms of abuse and not taking care of yourself, you're equal.

If I don't take care of myself, I know what will happen and is thus responsible for my own actions, but if I fail to take care of another being, he/she cannot be responsible for that, and can't be held wrong for what I have done.



You wouldn't teach your child bad eating habits on purpose, why should you do it to yourself?

Because a child is not me. My body is my own, and thus I should be able to deicide on my own what I want to do with it.

[LyricGaia]

Not quite getting my point, Or I'm not explaining it well enough. You always have full control over yourself and what you put into it. If you want to knowingly cause yourself harm, that's your business but your life is not more important or less important than any other life out there. If you advocate healthy habits for others, including animals, you should advocate healthy habits for yourself.

[Envy]

Not quite getting my point, Or I'm not explaining it well enough. You always have full control over yourself and what you put into it. If you want to knowingly cause yourself harm, that's your business


Yes.



but your life is not more important or less important than any other life out there.

I believe it is.


If you advocate healthy habits for others, including animals, you should advocate healthy habits for yourself.

Quite the difference between "advocating", and "taking care of".
Besides, if you advocate for healthy habits, you're very likely to reach out for those who are or want to be healthy. You don't need to be healthy yourself, if you don't want to.

[LyricGaia]

Quite the difference between "advocating", and "taking care of".
Besides, if you advocate for healthy habits, you're very likely to reach out for those who are or want to be healthy. You don't need to be healthy yourself, if you don't want to.

I poorly described my thoughts before, and that leads to the "Practice what you preach" question. How can you take someone seriously who won't do what they advocate?

[Envy]

I poorly described my thoughts before, and that leads to the "Practice what you preach" question. How can you take someone seriously who won't do what they advocate?

Because he/she don't want to. You don't have to do what's best for you all the time.

[LyricGaia]

Then you really shouldn't try to advocate it to others.



You're quite contrary aren't you?

[Envy]

Then you really shouldn't try to advocate it to others.



You're quite contrary aren't you?

Why?
If I want to help people improve their lives, that's fine?

[LyricGaia]

I'm not getting into this, you just wanna argue not matter what I think :)

[Envy]

I'm not getting into this, you just wanna argue not matter what I think :)

No, even though I admit that playing the devils advocate can be quite beneficial sometimes, I am actually arguing for things I believe in now.

Or rather, I can sum it up.

If I as a person choose to help people who actually want my help with a certain issue, I don't have to choose the same path as them, because that may not be the way that I want to live.

[PlaybackGuru]

I avoid the stereotype by being fat :lol:

[unovegan]

I avoid the stereotype by being fat :lol:

nice

[4EverGrounded]

I avoid the stereotype by being fat :lol:I *embrace* the stereotype of being fat. I'm going to destroy the notion that veg*ns are stick-figure thin, one jelly roll at a time. :D

[SomebodyElse]

Oh we had another thread like this a while ago. It didn't go over at all well.

[unovegan]

Oh we had another thread like this a while ago. It didn't go over at all well.

Surely it has to be easier than the abortion/guns threads that are more current.

I appreciate everyone's opinions on this. Even if I disagree with them.

By no means does anyone have to eat healthy AND be veg. I just think it helps promote a veg lifestyle if people look healthy. It's sad but looks are important in this world.

[SomebodyElse]

I'm not sure it ought to matter. People place way too much emphasis on the power food can have on health. There is a link of course, but being vegetarian isn't really very much more likely to prevent certain diseases, and when people go veg for their health, and get sick anyway, they blame it on the diet and go back to meat eating.

Still I suppose its better to look healthy than not, for many reasons.

[major.walrus]

Well, there's another way of looking at it. It's kinda selfish to be really unfit. Especially if you went all the way and became morbidly obese. First off, the amount of food you're consuming is nessecarily way disproportionate to your needs. Secondly, if you're that unfit, you're gonna find it harder to walk places, so you'll need to take fuelled transport for shorter and shorter distances as your condition gets worse. Thirdly, this self-inflicted condition, due to the complications associated with it, is likely to land you in hospital sometime. Then you'll be using up resources that could be allocated to individuals with conditions that aren't their fault.

In short, being really unfit and generally not looking after yourself has consequences that don't only pertain to you. It's a harsh point, and a roundabout one, but it's still something to consider for at least a moment.

[Kotegaeshi]

I think this is a really good point. I've heard lots of times people say to me "you don't look like a vegetarian" and there's always the conception that people who eat meat are physically stronger because we're assumed to eat less protein. I know a guy who was a vegetarian while we were at Uni together but afterwards he joined the Police and there was a lot of pressure on him to eat meat to be strong enough physically to deal with things as well as his colleagues.
People do have a stereotype of what a vegetarian looks like: skinny, beard, homemade shoes etc...

Do I feel like it's my job to try and break that stereotype though? Not at all. I just go about being me and doing what I think is right. I think someone who's obese and lives off take aways does just as much to break the stereotype of "skinny health freak" as I do.

[Beancounter]

I think that taking good care of ourselves is a big selling point in itself.

I agree. I remember back in my 20's, I tried to convince a few co-workers to go veg.

However, I caught numerous bad colds that year, so their (incorrect) conclusion was that being a veggie must be very unhealthy.

But more on topic, yes, I work out, and eat right to live as healthy a lifestyle I can, and promote a positive image.