Why are we so slow to change?

Why are people so slow to change?  Anyone who has adopted a plant-based diet becomes quickly astonished at what other people are still putting on their plates.  Although the research is clear and compelling, whether you consider the animal suffering, the cost to the environment, or the toll in human suffering through illness, an animal based diet makes no sense.  Certainly, more people than ever have taken animals off the menu.  But if the issues are so obvious, why doesn't everyone change?  The answer is multi-faceted.  But, simply stated, logic does not direct human behavior for the most part.

Like it or not, herd mentality is hard-wired into our brains.  Logic is slow and deliberate; herd instinct is instantaneous.  So why doesn't everyone change?  Because the rest of the herd, so to speak, is eating less-than-healthy fare.  We are comforted in the thought that what most people are doing ought to be best for us, too.  Meanwhile, Americans remain the most unhealthy of all people on the earth.  We spend the most on healthcare and are 38th in our ranking of health, (at the bottom) when compared with other nations.

The federal government has so far shirked its responsibility.  Loyal to agribusiness and surprisingly indifferent to health, the government gives only garbled hints about the risks of meat-based diets.  The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans follow the familiar pattern.  They are clear about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, but careful not to overtly criticize meat or dairy products.  Instead, they couch any cautionary language in biochemical terms, like "saturated fats" and "cholesterol," which are only loosely tied to specific foods in most people's minds.  The government's policies are careful not to disrupt the herd mentality that keeps American beef, chicken, and cheese in grocery carts and on American differ tables.

So what will it take to redirect the American headlong plunge into the disasters of obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other health problems?  Probably, only personal health crises!  But, things are beginning to change.  People are becoming informed about the positive health benefits of vegetarian and vegan dietary lifestyle changes.
__________________________
Comments adapted from Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.  President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Food Log: Instagram@stevemattis