Every year, October 1 kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month: a focused time to increase vegetarianism awareness, support those affected, and ultimately find a cure for this condition.
To date, there are 1.5 billion people across the globe living as vegetarians. Together, we can work to make a difference for those who need it most.
By the numbers
Nearly 20% of the world’s population suffers from vegetarianism, with more victims diagnosed every day.
- Today alone, an average of 15,000 vegetarians will eat a portobello burger and pretend it’s a real burger
- In 2023 alone, over 19,000 vegetarians paid entree prices for a grilled head of cauliflower because it was listed as “cauliflower steak”
- Every week, approximately 6,500 vegetarians will be forced to make a meal out of coleslaw and cornbread when those they’re with choose to dine at a barbecue restaurant
- Each winter, 7 million of those living with vegetarianism will not get to eat the soup they actually want because it was made with animal stock
- On average, 65% of all vegetarians this year will have nothing to eat at a potluck simply because someone made the green beans with bacon
- In 2024, a projected 2.5 million people will learn what tempeh is
Identifying symptoms early is crucial
The best way to beat vegetarianism is prevention! Check yourself and your loved ones frequently for symptoms of oncoming vegetarianism:
- A sudden empathy for animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and sometimes even baby lambs
- Explaining to your friends that you only eat meat a few times a week, or only when you go out to eat
- Thinking tofu “tastes like something”
- Treating side dishes like quinoa and lentils as real food
- Explaining to anyone who will listen that you’ve noticed you feel better when you don’t eat meat
- Explaining to those same people that they would also feel better if they stopped eating meat
- Explaining to anyone who will listen that meat is murder
- Getting a “269” tattoo to honor the cow saved from slaughter in Tel Aviv in 2013
- Posting Paul McCartney’s quote about slaughterhouses and glass walls on Facebook
- Wearing a T-shirt that says “Hummus Is Yummus” because you think it’s clever
You can make a difference: spread awareness for those living with vegetarianism today
Thanks to multiple breakthroughs in recent decades, including chili cook-offs, Chick-fil-A, and entire festivals dedicated just to ribs, 32% of vegetarians enter remission after five years. However, despite our progress, scientists are still working to find a cure.
If you detect symptoms of vegetarianism in a loved one, quick action is crucial: steps such as an emergency trip to 99 cent wing night or reminding them that literally anything can be wrapped in bacon have proven success rates.
Leggy Blonde 