A recent report by the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium, on the appropriateness of vegetarian and vegan diets for children, adolescents and other demographic groups has made headlines internationally. In the report, the experts recommend that children, teens, pregnant women and nursing mothers do not follow a vegan diet.
This news was soon picked up by several media (e.g. see Le Soir, CNN, Knack) and as it spread, the headlines became more sensational, with some eventually claiming that Belgium had now banned feeding children a vegan diet and that vegan parents would be jailed for doing so. Although no legislation to that effect has been issued, the opinion paper of the Royal Academy could be used in court as an ‘expert opinion’ in child neglect or abuse cases as a means to seperate child from parents. So raising children on a plant based diet could fall under the scope of non-assistance to a person in danger.
And then this happened.
I saw several such posts circulating in vegan circles on Facebook, and being eagerly commented on and shared widely.
The person on the photos is the Belgian Minister of Health, Maggie De Block (former Minister of Health actually, as we just had elections on Sunday in Belgium).
First of all, although there’s certainly lots to be said about her policy (cuts in health care, making medicine more expensive, etc), I have found no sources that attribute this quote to the Minister of Health Maggie De Block. The supposed “quote” seems simply to be related to the position paper of the Royal Academy, which is in fact just an opinion, and no offical governmental position from the Minister of Health or in any other way linked to her. Stretching the ‘fake news’ about this issue one step further.
If you want to call someone out, at least target the right person or organisation.
Secondly, these posts reek with bodyshaming. Would these memes and posts even have been made had the Belgian Minister of Health had a Kardasian body size? I think not. The intent is to discredit the aforementioned opinion about feeding children a vegan diet through the body size of the Minister.
Bodyshaming takes the focus away from the issue (are vegan diets for children healthy or not?) and focuses on attacking the targetted person. And by implication all fat bodies. That becomes overtly apparent from the many fatshaming comments that rapidly follow on such posts.
It also implies that fat bodies (and by extension unhealthy bodies, as many people implictly relate these two, although there is no simple 1 to 1 link) cannot have anything sensible to say about health issues. They supposedly have no credibility. But credibility regarding health issues (or any issues) has nothing to do with one’s own body size or shape, one’s own health status, but by one’s education, (lived) experience and file knowledge on health issues. I am a disabled vegan, dealing with several chronic diseases, and with a body weight that has yoyo-ed up and down the last three decades in a span of just as many kilos. I also have some knowledge and education about nutrition and medical issues, which should put more weight in the scale (pun) for my credibility about health issues than the appearance of my body.
Fatshaming or bodyshaming is not only a deplorable ad hominem attack, it also marginalises fat vegans within our community. And yes, fat vegans do exist. Although vegans do on average have a lower BMI than non-vegans, a vegan diet is no full proof guarantee for weight loss. Vegans comes in all sizes: not all vegans are thin and not all non-vegans are fat. Bodyshaming can even be damaging to mental health. It can contribute to the development of eating disorders, gives people a negative self-image, and adds to dropped self-esteem.
PCRM
A concluding note about the opinion of the Belgian Academy of Medicine: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) refuted the report of the Belgian committe in this statement (See also the statements by the American Dietetic Association, British Dietetic Association, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). PCRM quotes the latter AND report, that states that “vegan diets are “appropriate, and they satisfy the nutrient needs and promote normal growth at all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.”
It is quite ironic that PCRM comes into the picture here, as PCRM has a history of bodyshaming too. In 2012 they received a lot of criticism for their ‘Abs on cheese campaign‘.
In a 2008 newsletter, physician John McDougall1 suggested that “fat vegans” aren’t good animal advocates because people are likely to be “so distracted by their appearance” that they won’t hear their message.
Bodyshaming is deeply problematic and unfortunately present at several segments of our movement.
Veganism is about animal rights. Focus on the animal rights issue, not on shaming people for their appearance.
Geertrui Cazaux
See also: About bodyshaming in the vegan and animal rights movement, Geertrui Cazaux – presentation at Vegfest UK 2018.
1 Edit: John McDougall was cited as being a member of the advisory board of PCRM (here). Although he is currently not listed as an expert on the site of PCRM.
Crip HumAnimal 
Hi Trudy: Your article appears to suggest that Dr. John McDougall is with PCRM – that is not true. Dr. Neal Barnard is the president of PCRM. Dr. McDougall is a well known vegan physician but he is not with PCRM. Please correct your article. Thank you!
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Thanks for your comment Eric. I’ve added a note to clarify.
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https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/557/htm
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She’s paid by big pharma. Her motives are clear!
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https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/us-doctors-blast-belgian-misinformation-vegan-diets
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One reason I tend to avoid calling myself a vegan – despite having not eaten any animal-based food in more than three decades – is because I care for both planetary and human health and one could clearly be on an unhealthy vegan diet. I choose a whole food plant-based rather than just ‘vegan’ diet – avoiding all processed food and paying attention to provenance, seasonality and organic status of food – so it’s pretty near impossible for me to become fat. In doing so I am also doing my very best to help the planet. I expect a Health Minister to know that much. It is not that long ago that many – perhaps most – medical doctors smoked, and that widespread behaviour stopped any anti-smoking legislation being adopted anywhere for a long time, despite thousands of studies showing the harm from tobacco. We’re in a similar situation with food now. An obese health minister is like a lung cancer specialist smoking in his or her surgery. I think it is absolutely fine to be critical, because it’s impossible to become or remain obese on a diet that is best for us and the planet. One can have sympathy, of course, as one would have towards a doctor addicted to smoking, but – sorry – not respect for their professional opinion or advice.
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I love your reply and wholeheartedly agree. I am comfortable saying this without feeling that I am shaming anyone, since I was morbidly obese for 25 years until I went WFBPNO vegan 9 years ago and lost 150 lbs and reversed my T2D and other lifestyle disease. But I would no more feel comfortable accepting medical advice to cure a chronic disease from a physician in that physical shape than I would financial advice from a homeless person or take my vehicle to be serviced by a mechanic who could not start his or her own car.
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Wreak with body shaming. She should be shamed as should anyone living in a land of plenty who apparently has no concern for their own health. Fat is NOT healthy.
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Of course they would tell you to being vegan is bad. Hey I’m not vegan but I know I should be. So let me ask you “people” do you see any other animal trying to get milk from a cow? No! They get milk from their own kind! All other animals that eat meat smell it blood, they hunt it, kill it, then eat it RAW! We aren’t made to eat a non vegan diet. We never used to have ovens and stoves. We are the food the world gave us. And the worst part is this….it’s actually 10x harder to be unwell whilst living on a raw alkaline vegan diet…..
But medicine rules the world. If people aren’t sick and dying anymore It becomes oh we need population control. In the uk fruit and veg is sooooo expensive they are trying to force you to eat a non vegan lifestyle. Non dairy products cost more than diary??? A deliberate ploy to keep the cogs of medicine turn….I work in a hospital. And if you really think the “government” wouldn’t do it you need to get a grip.
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just to be clear you want humans to milk women for their milk, therefore, treating them as animals are you sick in your head that is one of the most idiotic arguments I’ve ever heard get a grip and stop whining
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Er, no. Humans are supposed to only drink milk when they are babies. You wouldnt suck your mothers breast as an adult, and you shouldnt remove a baby cow from its mother, causing massive emotional distress, and then attach your mouth to the mother cows’ udder. Hooking her up to a machine is nightmarish, and scientists have now discovered women who steal and drink baby cows milk are much more likely to get breast cancer. Karma!
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This woman is so fat because of the rubbish she eats. She shouldn’t be allowed to be a Minister of Health but rather someone you point at when you want to explain what happens to the person who eats junk food.
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Don’t Body Shame Her!!!
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It is hurtful to call anyone obese, or fat and to try to shame them into losing weight, and it’s hurtful also to tell people to point and say that’s the result of over eating .The sad thing about it all is that she may be a lovely lady and she will certainly damage her health soon if not already.
Large people are bubbly and come across as happy but behind the smiles are many tears.
Richard.
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Why shouldn’t you body shame an obese person who is pretty well off… They are actively hurting themselves by making bad food and exercise choices. We shame smokers and alcoholics why not obesity.
You also can’t say they can’t lose weight because I can guarantee you if you leave someone on a stranded island without any food they will lose weight. The conservation of mass and energy suddenly doesn’t disappear but in a human body it is a lot more complicated. Admittedly you shouldn’t be constantly being rude about it, but when half your body leaks into another persons air plane seat or a car is visibly struggling under your weight no special treatment should be allotted for people who are well off and obese. Lastly SHES THE MINSISTER OF HEALTH GODDAMNIT I’m not asking for you to be perfectly healthy but I AM asking that you don’t weigh 400 pounds which gives a list of symptoms like coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis. You don’t ask an electrician who can’t turn on the lights to fix yours and you don’t call someone who smokes to help you quit smoking.
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Saying ‘large people are bubbly’ is really cringeworthy. As if you have personally interviewed all of them and can confirm they are all the same. Its just as bad as saying all black people are criminals, or all white people are racist. They are just people. Some are nice, some are not, some are extrovert, some are introvert. And dont think you can cancel adjectives for fear of causing offence. Large could mean tall. Some people might not like being called large. Everyone is different.
Obese people are supposed to be disturbing. Its natures way of stopping us from copying them, endangering ourselves by getting sick like them, and hoarding all the food so others starve. Im not talking about people who are a bit overweight or have naturally fuller body shapes, but really unhealthy, obese people like this 20 stone government official. Its obvious she shouldnt be health minister. A minister of health should lead by example and inspire others.
The world feels really stupid sometimes, with really serious people pointing at a dog and getting offended if we wont call it a cat.
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She has 0 credibility. She should be shamed in the sense of giving out any diet or health advice in the shape she is in.
Guess what – she is morbidly obese, not fat.
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