"I’d want to be treated with an understanding that my dietary choices are especially meaningful to me. My food choices are much more than ‘preferences’ and should be respected like any other deeply held belief."
Dr Barbara Sharp, a registered nurse, has worked in the NHS, specialising in the care of older people, and for Alzheimer Scotland, until her retirement in November 2020. On her retirement, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her services to dementia in Scotland. She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for V for Life.
We asked her when and why she started her vegetarian/vegan journey.
A: “I became vegetarian over 48 years ago when I was 20 years old. At that point I stopped drinking cow’s milk and wearing animal products, and only used cruelty free cosmetics etc. I’ve been vegan now for over 10 years. Decisions about what I eat have always been informed by a mixture of things rather than any single driver. Fundamental compassion for other beings, philosophical arguments around rights, personal and public health, politics, and environmental concerns all play their part and I can’t separate them. I was involved in the animal rights, ecology, and peace movements. My son was raised as a vegetarian and it was conversations with him and his friends about the impact of the dairy industry that prompted us all to become vegan”
Q: Have you noticed any differences between you and non-veggie friends of the same age?
A: “I have more energy and motivation to try new things than some of my peers, but this could of course be explained by many different things. My younger non-veggie friends are the ones who tend to comment that I don’t seem to age but that may say more about their own expectations of getting older than anything else – or maybe they’re just being nice! I retired 3 years ago and I’m enjoying being part of lots of community projects and still occasionally take on some paid work.”
Q: How would you want to be treated and (if applicable) be cared for in later life?
A: “I’d want to be treated with an understanding that my dietary choices are especially meaningful to me. They are part of who I am and how I want to live my life, central to my identity and self-esteem. My food choices are much more than ‘preferences’ and should be respected like any other deeply held belief.”
