The death of Georgina Owen is tragic. The reporting around it has been appalling.
Headlines have turned a 21-year-old woman’s death into a warning about “veganism”, when the actual issue is severe, preventable B12 deficiency.
Veganism is an ethical principle against animal exploitation. A plant-based diet is a dietary pattern. Conflating the two is lazy at the best of times. In this case, it is disgraceful.
B12 deficiency is not a “vegan problem”. It is not even rare. The NHS says around one in 20 people aged 65 to 74 are B12 deficient, rising to around one in 10 people over 75. Severe deficiency is often linked to absorption problems, including pernicious anaemia, and some medications can also interfere with B12 absorption.
Reports say Georgina had followed a plant-based diet for around three years and had not taken B12 supplements for at least six months. But B12 deficiency usually develops slowly. The body can store B12 for years. So pretending this is a simple case of “vegan diet causes suicide” is not public health reporting. It is culture-war rubbish. B12 deficiency can cause serious physical and psychological symptoms. It should be recognised, tested for, and treated with supplements, injections, and fortified foods.
That is the story.
Not “veganism kills”.
B12 deficiency is serious.
Media dishonesty is optional.