veganism: I mean, I live in Manhattan. There are vegans everywhere in NYC. I have yet to see someone dying of veganism.|||The industry associations are very good at mis-education at all levels of schools and professional conferences. The tactics are well documented by many. The best research I've seen to support a healthy vegan diet is by T. Colin Cambell in a book called 'The China Study." It's available online and free through Google books. It also explains how industry is able to mislead lay people and professionals alike.|||Well, short answer, because they're ignorant. :) But to elaborate, I think most people don't really know a hell of a lot about nutrition. Especially in America, where a lot of people tend to rely on processed foods an awful lot & it's been ingrained in our brains all throughout grammar school that there are four basic food groups, and the meat group is where you get your protein, the dairy group is where you get calcium, etc. They don't tell you that protein is found in pretty much all plant foods (some more than others) and there are tons of plant sources for calcium. A lot of people think "Well, if I learned it in school, it must be right" and don't really go much further than that. There's also a huge emphasis on protein and dairy in America (like those ads professing that drinking cow's milk will help you lose weight...yeah, right). Your average omni actually consumes waaay more protein than they actually need, and of course it's mostly animal protein, so they wind up with heart attacks & strokes & such later on. Good for them. :) I'm 32, have been vegetarian since I was 15, and vegan since I was 23, and I am so much healthier than most people my age that I know. Many of my friends (who actually...well, most of my friends are 5-7 years younger than me, there's only 1 who is closer to my age) are already having issues with high cholesterol or blood pressure and things like that. The only major health issues I've had have to do with foot injuries I had as a kid. I also look a lot younger. I almost always get carded, and anyone I'm out with only gets carded maybe half the time.|||Red lentils, chickpeas, and soy are terrific sources of both iron and protein. I think since switching to vegeterianism my protein and iron intake have increased, since it's now cheap. According to the U.K. Vegan Society, the present consensus is that any B12 present in plant foods is likely to be unavailable to humans and so these foods should not be relied upon as safe sources, as the B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism. Also, vegan humans who eat only plant based foods must ordinarily take special care to supplement their diets accordingly. The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some soy products and some breakfast cereals), and B12 supplements. Thanks to the guy below me - watch out for this!|||there's no vitamin B12 in a vegan diet. B12 is found in meat and it's crucial for proper brain function. A B12 deficient person can suffer from all sorts of nervous system anomalies ranging from mild memory loss to things like mania/psychosis, sclerosis, etc, so it can be pretty bad when you don't have enough B12. Protein is also a big issue but these days, it's not really a problem. Lots of vegans can get their protein from tofu or beans or lentils. if you're set on having a vegan diet, just take a B12 supplement and you'll be fine. It is an absolute must.|||I've never seen on somebodies death papers: "death by vegan" You can die by not having enough of certain nutrients (eg: protein, vitamin B12), but you can't die from being a vegan. Obviously, as a vegan if you watch what you eat and get enough protein, etc. then you'll probably live healthier and longer than most people.|||Because the meat and dairy industries spend millions of dollars in marketing telling the general public otherwise. Can you believe some people really think that milk is the ONLY source of calcium?? Or that meat is the only way to get protein??|||Because any diet if not properly planned can kill you.|||Because they think meat, dairy, and eggs are food groups.|||Because vegan food terrorism pisses off so many people they will want to bash their heads to pulp. Humans were not made to be vegan!|||IDk but maybe becuase since vegans dont eat meat . they dont have protein i guess you could say it shortens your life cause you need protein|||For the same reason some say that eating meat will kill you .|||probably cause of your intake on protein. some people think meat is the best source