There was a recent post on the Fat Free Vegan List where someone felt they were being a "heretic" for posting about the "health" benefits of coconut oil (which is myopic, more on this shortly). This got me to thinking about how some might perceive those of us believing in a no-added fat vegan diet as being akin to dietary fundamentalists.
In formulating a response to the poster, I decided it was best to make it a blog post, for general consumption and that it wasn't really "on topic" for the List. I've expanded my response to cover a bit more conceputal turf than just the List:
"Someone posted feeling that they were a heretic for what they posted, wondered if "fat free" is a religion, and wouldn't post any more.
First of all, this is a Group List. Mistakes can be made, I've made my own share, we move on, we post again. However, know that advocating hamburger on a vegetarian list would be as bad as praising oil on a fat free vegan list. There is a "charter" and we join with the tacit understanding that we agree to the bylaws.
As to the issue of fat free being a religion, it's an intriguing thought to me. In my mind, being religious requires faith, and generally, faith in the unknown to some degree (unless one has had some sort of transcendent experience that "mandates" a religious perspective and/or viewpoint). Still, not provable, at least from a quantitative or empirical standpoint. Some akin "vegan" to a religion and/or philosophy.
IMHO, "Fat Free" requires faith to some degree, but more importantly, it also incorporates 20+ years of solid peer-reviewed scientific research, actually physical measurements of the effect of ingested added fat, and a sound understanding of the mechanism by which said added fat can cause harm to the human body in so many ways. Furthermore, added oil is nothing but, to quote Rip Esselstyn, processed goop. That's an inescapable reality. Oil is a highly processed food-like product, but it is NOT real food. Go ahead. Tell me how you can "grow oil" or "harvest oil."
The "fat free vegan approach" is much more "provable" than a religion, imho. And just as with a religion, you can "try it" and see how it works for you. For many of us, fat free has been a boon, a revelation, invigorating, a release, and/or quite healthy. Does one size fit all? Ask someone wiser than me, I don't know.
Anyway, we may sound like religious zealots, and I can only speak for myself here, but in fighting a world that insists that "added oil is good" we get weary sometimes, and often have to remind ourselves that we've science, tested results, and the reversal of heart disease and diabetes (that no one but Essy, Ornstein, and Barnard have accomplished) to validate our perspective. If you know someone who can walk on water, they are probably worth paying attention to, at least until you meet someone else who can do the same (or tells you where the low-lying rocks are in the pond).
We get tired of having to defend our views. Our hard fought understanding that added fat is harmful and that oil is NOT real food is often met with scorn, derision, and disdain. You can tell someone that one high fat meal decreases circulatory elasticity for several hours (that's a measurement, not theory), and over time, will take it's toll as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Altzheimer's disease, and other serious degenerative conditions, and they will still whine about needing Daiya "cheese" (very high fat processed oil, mostly) or "extra virgin olive oil." EVOO=EVIL. Often, just as with carnivores attacking vegetarians or vegans, they will throw out very similar insults and ill-thought out justifications for why you are wrong. As though it was important that you be shown to be wrong.
Vegetarians and Vegans being scornful of low-fat vegans. On the surface, it's silly, but in reality, it's that even Veg'ns are susceptable to the addictive qualities of fat, sugar, and salt. As such, often the List has been a sanctuary of sorts, a support group and a rare place to share a minority view and recipes with others who are also struggling or who have successfully incorporated this new dietary perspective into their lives. I mean, if there are 1 million vegans in the US (latest stats), how many are low-fat oriented? We are a minority in a minority that will, most likely, live longer than the majority.
No-added fat is not a religion, but a reasoned approach to health. Forgive us if we sometimes lash out at those who suggest otherwise. In many ways, going vegetarian or vegan is/was actually easier than going no-fat. I get more flack for no-fat than I have for vegan the past decade, although admittedly, when I went veg decades ago, it was truly radical.
We do what we think best, ideally. But remember... asking 'why' on a fat free List is different than posting "health" information about fat or recipes with fat on a "fat free" List.
We see enough of those bogus health claims as it is. They might be healthy on some myopic micro-managed selective subset of biological interactions, but, imho, avoiding heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Altzheimer's trumps them all. Being firm and resolved to embrace a no-added fat vegan diet should not be confused with religion or groundless faith. It is the acknowledgement of the research, science, and demonstrated results, that we choose to take advantage of and incorporate into our lives.
Our decision, not yours. We're fine with it.
Regards, Mark"
Addendum: Comments Off is a default (thank you Typepad) and I didn't notice it. It's been enabled.