All my life I have been an extremely picky eater. If a food seems unappetizing or has a strange texture, I will not eat it. Part of me doesn’t label this as a choice, because I wish I could eat more without the anxiety of trying something new. This was pretty much inherent in me, and I didn’t experience people being picky on purpose until I met some of my close friends. Four of my close friends are vegans. They resemble the pickiness that I have, only instead of aversion, they are picky based on their ethics. All of my friends are very caring towards animals and the environment. They are following the social norm that vegans are making this sacrifice for the sake of the animals and the Earth. It is arguable that we live in a society that favors meat eaters, so becoming a vegan is like defying that social norm. By defying the fact that it is more socially normal to eat meat, vegans develop that pickiness to avoid eating what is readily available.

While I am not vegan, my friends do inspire me to cut down on the amounts of meat that I eat. Not only is it beneficial to the environment and safer for the animals, but it is also a much healthier option. A serious societal issue, especially in America, is obesity. Going vegan is a choice that requires eating more greens and vegetables, therefore leading a healthier lifestyle. Eating meat, red meat especially, causes higher cholesterol. Becoming vegan eliminates that risk. Not only does this lifestyle choice limit obesity, but it is safer for the environment. Like the module described, factory farms are a key contributor to environmental problems. By not eating animal products, vegans are boycotting these factory farms. While the social norms of our society favor meat eaters, it would make more sense to do the opposite. Favoring vegans would mean favoring healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment.