Vegans and vegetarians 70% more likely to pursue open relationships
It seems what you eat might also determine who you meet, with vegans and vegetarians far more likely to pursue open relationships, new data suggests.
Veggly, a dating app for people who stick to greener diets, has revealed the 2022 dating, relationship and friendship trends among its users.
Three quarters (73.4%) are interested in long term, monogamous relationships, while over half (56%) are interested in 'one-off dates'.
Meanwhile, more than a third (33.8%) are interested in open relationships, and more than half (57.2%) are interested in meeting new friends.
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But most interestingly, vegans and vegetarians are 69% more likely to pursue an open relationship than meat eaters are, the app with more than 600,000 users reveals.
For those unsure, an open relationship is where a couple has mutually agreed to open up their relationship to other people. This can include one person or both people having other sexual or romantic partners.
The key is that all parties are aware, and consent to the non-monogamous lifestyle.
Read more: Meat-free benefits: Two vegetarian days a week slashes cancer risk
Jo Hemmings, Behavioural Psychologist and Relationship Coach, says the findings aren't surprising,
"Vegans in particular have already taken an ethical decision not to eat meat, and this has become one of their core values when meeting a match," says Hemmings.
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"Due to their self-assured and less traditional eating choice, they are more likely to have the strong confidence needed to consider relationships that are also different from the 'norm'.
"They have already broken away from the traditional norms for diet... so why not break away from relationship norms as well?"
Hemmings also points out that this norm-breaking confidence may also be carried into other areas of relationships, saying, "It could result in a stronger likelihood to experiment in the bedroom or with other varieties of relationship that aren't in keeping with traditional relationship structures."
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Research by the app last year found the UK to be the best country in the world for vegan dating (for a second year in a row), followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
