Meet the 'Hegans': Middle-Aged Male Vegans

Introducing "hegans." The term, courtesy of the Boston Globe, refers to middle-aged men who eat only vegetables, often eschewing animal products to the point of veganism. They don't match the cultural mainstream of veganism—in their 40s and 50s, they're disinclined to proselytize, and espouse little of vegetarianism's new-age vibe or veganism's crust-punk ethos. These are guys' guys who used to scarf down burgers but now want to live longer.

A legit trend? Thomas Rogers of Salon isn't so sure and notes that the story is based on anecdotal evidence, not hard numbers. Still, "the succinct catchiness of the word is almost enough to forgive the weaknesses of the article. I can already hear vegan hipsters in Williamsburg and Silver Lake ironically referring to themselves as 'hegans'—which, put in the manliest way possible, is actually kind of fabulous." (More vegan stories.)