Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Apparently men going vegan is a sign of a mid-life crisis

Anyone getting extra keen on quinoa?


Anna Johnstone
Head of Social
Updated: September 13, 2018
Share this:

Veganism isn’t just limited to the bright #cleaneating Instagram accounts and yoga bunnies any more - more and more of us are going dairy-free for environmental, health, and ethical reasons. But if you thought that someone turning vegan was purely on a moral stance, then think again. Turns out, going vegan is a sign of a midlife crisis… but only in men. So what’s it got to do with men picking up tofu in the supermarket?

men vegan mid life crisis

Do you know a man who's switching up his supermarket choices?

A study by Bupa Health Clinics revealed that men going vegan between the ages of 40 and 50 is a key sign of a midlife crisis, as it’s when Brits start to get concerned about their health. Bupa surveyed 3,000 adults and found out that 47% of us start to worry as we hit the big four-zero, and for men, this manifests as turning vegan (24%) or signing up to a competitive event such as a marathon or Tough Mudder (31%).

MORE: Vegans will LOVE this new cheese board from Asda, and it's perfect for Christmas

Whereas women feel the impact slightly earlier in their thirties, men follow a decade or so later, so they start to make changes to their diet or schedule in extra doctor’s appointments. Women tend to join a gym or hire a personal trainer, and around two thirds admitted that they adopt a healthier eating plan. Jake Williams from Bupa Health Clinics said: "Entering a new decade is one of many triggers that can prompt us to think about our health. In our clinics, we often see customers coming in for a general health check shortly before, or after turning, an age ending with a zero."

MORE: How Vogue Williams keeps fit while pregnant

Plus, 6% of all men surveyed said that they want to get fitter because they have a younger partner - aw! So perhaps those couples membership deals at the gym are no bad thing - but we may wait until our New Year's resolutions in, um, 2020 to make use of them...

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Transform your routine with expert advice from our beauty and wellness team

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Health & Fitness

See more