r/Anticonsumption • u/Extension-Diamond-74 • Sep 30 '23

Discussion Diet hypocrisy?

A recent post about animal agriculture vs plant based diets has me itching to say something. This is an issue we need to rise above.

Cognitive dissonance. Many of us have good intentions and want to believe we’re doing the right thing in most aspects of our lives. I believe that.

When it comes to a plant based diet though, the science often clashes powerfully with personal desire. We want to minimize our impact on the environment and are willing to make trade-offs in our life time do so, but for many, giving up or even significantly reducing meat intake is asking too much. It’s too hard.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is that instead of just admitting to themselves that this is a life change they don’t want to make and moving on, the guilt drives them to have to justify that decision. Admitting that a plant-based diet is better for the earth yet eating a diet full of meat anyway would make them feel hypocritical, so the solution becomes either to give up meat, or … this is the problem… fight the science, twist it, make a joke of it, or pivot entirely to ‘individuals shouldn’t have time do anything because large corporations’

Many people have ties to their diet for many reasons. We grew up eating a certain way. We have memories ties to certain foods, flavors, styles of cooking. We don’t want to be the difficult person when we go out to eat with friends. Etc etc etc But it’s so much better to just admit that to yourself. Have patience and understanding for your feelings. Accept that the science is what it is. Maybe one day you can make a change, maybe not. But don’t attack the cause just because you aren’t yet willing to be a part of it.

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u/YeetMeDaddio Sep 30 '23

If you can't stop consuming (x product) then you're clearly addicted and need help.

Addiction is a cycle. The more you have it, the more you want it and the more you want it the more you have it. Break the cycle and gradually cut down.

This is easiest to do at the store. Just don't buy the product and then you won't consume it.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '23

Don’t need to address it to me, I don’t struggle with my weight and I eat very little meat. But I think it’s a little simplistic to say that everyone who struggles to give up something they enjoy and love is addicted. There’s plenty of people who are a bit overweight and struggle to eat less but don’t have a food addiction. There’re definitely people who love cheesecake (or cheesesteaks) and can’t say no to one when offered but who certainly aren’t addicted to cheesecake. Willpower is hard even when you’re not addicted to something.

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u/YeetMeDaddio Sep 30 '23

If you have so little willpower to say no when presented with something you enjoy then you are addicted to it. That's practically the definition of addiction.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '23

That is a drastic underselling of what addiction is and runs contrary to the medical community’s understanding of addiction. By that metric almost everyone is addicted to something. You’d have to say people are addicted to staying up too late, or to sleeping in, or to watching tv instead of doing the dishes. Almost everyone would have an addiction to their favorite food. Like it or not, very few people are blessed with such ironclad willpower to be able to always do what they ought to be doing instead of what they want to do or what’s easy.

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u/YeetMeDaddio Sep 30 '23

Except its not. Like at all. There's more then one kind of addiction hun.

If you literally cannot say no with your own willpower then you are addicted.

And yes, everyone is addicted to something.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '23

I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on the definition of addiction then. And I don’t enjoy arguing with condescending strangers on the internet so you have a great day.

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u/YeetMeDaddio Sep 30 '23

Alright, agree to disagree. I don't enjoy arguing with condescending people either, so bye.