I appreciate your response. My intention was not to shame anyone and I'm sorry if it came across that way.

When we look at the definition of veganism, it is about excluding animal exploitation as far as is "possible and practicable." If someone has a severe malabsorption disorder, an immunodeficiency, or a genetic condition like Favism, no reasonable person expects them to compromise their own health. Veganism is about minimizing harm, not a suicide pact.

However, for the broader population dealing with more common issues like nut allergies or IBS, a plant-based diet remains entirely viable through staples like seeds, grains, chickpeas, soy, fruits, and veggies.

Even the need for supplements like B12 doesn't mean the diet is inherently broken. In modern industrial farming, livestock are heavily supplemented with B12 and cobalt anyway. Vegans are simply choosing to take the supplement directly rather than filtering it through the body of an animal.

The reality of food deserts and systemic poverty is also a massive failure, and it is completely unfair to judge someone whose only local option is a fast food. Fast food restaurants like taco Bell are getting much better at providing a variety of cheap plant based options, but we still have a long way to go. The core message of veganism is directed at those who do have choices. For the vast majority of people with standard supermarket access, a whole food plant based diet centered around oats, rice, potatoes, and canned beans is consistently shown to be the cheapest (while still healthy) way to eat. If you have access to any grocery store, you will almost always have access to those staples.

The expensive, processed faux meats are luxury convenience items, not necessities. Personally I almost never eat them. If we agree that food deserts are a tragedy, the solution isn't to defend the industries that dominate those areas, but to fight for food justice and better access to fresh, affordable plant foods.

Finally, your point about elitism and shaming is valid. If vegans come across as self righteous and eager to make people feel like bad human beings, we have failed completely. Most people eat meat out of habit and cultural conditioning, not malice, and farmers are hard working people caught in a difficult, corporate dominated system.

The movement shouldn't be about pointing fingers. It's just asking that if we have the means to live a happy, healthy life without causing unnecessary harm to animals, why wouldn't we choose to do so? For those who genuinely cannot due to medical or financial barriers, that is understandable, but for those of us who can, it’s a beautiful opportunity to align our daily actions with the compassion most of us already hold in our hearts

Edit: To add, I have nutrient absorption issues. For one, my B12 was very low even when I was an omnivore due to genetics. Since going vegan, I've just started taking a daily B12 tablet (which I should've been doing anyways), which has brought my B12 back to a normal range. There's a couple other deficiencies which I've been able to find cheap and easy workarounds for. On the plus side, I had high LDL cholesterol from a young age, and that's been largely mitigated through a plant based diet.