A new survey conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and Morning Consult has found that half of US adults are aware that eating a plant-based diet could improve their health and help prevent chronic diseases.
Furthermore, 65% of respondents said they would be willing to try a plant-based diet if shown evidence of its benefits. Young, non-white, college-educated adults from urban areas who earn a higher annual income were among the most open to making the change.
However, only 1 in 5 people recalled their doctors discussing the benefits of a plant-based diet. Those most likely to remember these conversations were young, male, Black or Hispanic, and from urban areas.
Just 1% of respondents described themselves as vegan, and another 1% as lacto-ovo-vegetarian. 95% ate meat at least once a month.
Turning interest into action
Despite the relatively positive attitudes toward plant-based diets indicated by the survey, previous research conducted on behalf of PCRM found that 87% of US adults believe consuming animal products is important for obtaining sufficient protein. However, 57% said they thought it was possible to build muscle on a plant-based diet.
Another PCRM study found that 46% of Americans would consider adopting a plant-based diet to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to food production, while a third concluded that consuming a low-fat vegan diet was significantly more affordable than both the standard American diet and the Mediterranean diet.
Xavier Toledo, a registered dietitian with PCRM, welcomed the findings of the new survey but noted that more needs to be done to translate positive attitudes into meaningful changes.
“What’s missing is support and guidance from health care professionals,” he said. “This represents a huge missed opportunity to turn interest into action — and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases that affect millions.”
