The media loves anti-vegan sentiment, it sells. If there’s ever a story about a malnourished child and the neglectful parents also happen to be vegan, you can bet your bottom dollar ‘vegan’ will form part of the headline.
There are hundreds of cases of child neglect and malnutrition every year, all over the world. A vegan family neglecting their child with improper feeding or inadequate nutrition is always a stronger story. It is important to remember that it is not the fact that the child isn’t fed animal products that can result in malnutrition, it is because they haven’t received appropriate care.
Malnourished Toddler And Baby Rescued From Filthy Carnist Home, Mother Arrested
Two meat-eating adults charged after 4 malnourished children found in their care
Ohio Police rescue malnourished child on a carnist diet
Two non-vegan parents were arrested and the Department of Childrens’ Services was called after deputies found eight children in poor condition and “very malnourished” in a mobile home
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/eight-children-found-very-malnourished-parents-arrested
Dairy consumer arrested over death of malnourished 2-year-old daughter left at home in Sendai
Police find malnourished toddler on diet containing animal products, arrest grandmother
Two of Lewis’ meat and dairy fed children, ages 13 and 15, appeared to be malnourished and were taken to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill
https://abc11.com/3-malnourished-children-found-in-roach-infested-home;-mother-charged/5647358/
Animal-eating Farmington foster parents arrested after malnourished child removed from home
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/aug/28/farmington-foster-parents-arrested-afte/
KFC fan arrested for child neglect when infant found malnourished
https://www.ocala.com/news/20190504/woman-arrested-for-child-neglect-when-infant-found-malnourished
Deputies find ‘malnourished’ non-vegan boy who doesn’t know when he last ate
McDonald’s customer arrested after child found malnourished for 30 days
Police find malnourished boy in beefburger loving Mom’s attic
https://gardnernews.com/police-find-malnourished-boy-in-arrested-moms-attic
Chicken-eating Japanese parents accused of attempted manslaughter over malnourished kids
https://nltimes.nl/2019/08/30/japanese-parents-accused-attempted-manslaughter-malnourished-kids
Officers from Fairfield City Police Area Command attended and found two boys, aged five and seven, not on a vegan diet, severely malnourished, neglected, and home alone.
https://www.miragenews.com/police-lay-charges-over-child-abuse-and-neglect-at-fairfield/
Sydney meat munching naturopath arrested after baby comes close to death on treatment plan
The children of non-vegan parents, between the ages of two to 29 at the time of the police raid, were severely malnourished.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47991829
Meat-loving Mother arrested after 3 children found malnourished, covered in bug bites
How do you know if a malnourished child in the latest headline is vegan?
Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
Along with many other organizations, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest nutritional body states, “Appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage”.
Although the statement is a glowing endorsement of the benefits of an animal free diet, the phrase “appropriately planned” may cause concern, as though it is difficult. Does it really suggest an inappropriately planned non-vegan diet is healthful? Of course not.
Whatever the source of your nutrients, if you’re not getting all that you require, maybe you need to plan better, vegan or not. The world’s nutritionists and dietitians don’t exist just to guide vegans with poor planning.
Popular “vegan malnutrition” stories make the public feel better about eating animals and will make the headlines more frequently. If articles of non-vegan parents also discussed how their family diet related to animal products, headlines would be very different. We’ve collated some below.
Admittedly, none of these articles discuss what products the child does or doesn’t eat. So we’ve used artistic license to demonstrate what the headlines would look like if media were truly balanced.
How do you know if a malnourished child in the latest headline is vegan?
Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
