NBSV 196: Fitness, veganism, and social justice: why politics belong in plant-based health
- Karina Inkster
- Apr 29
- 2 min read

In this episode, I’m diving into why fitness and veganism aren’t just personal choices—they’re political whether we realize it or not. Based on a recent article I wrote, I’m exploring how things like race, class, and ability shape who gets access to fitness and plant-based foods, and why pretending otherwise is itself a political act.
This episode was sparked by a podcast review I received telling me I should keep social commentary and political opinion out of my show. So, naturally, I decided to lean all the way in.
Important topics we discussed:
>> Fitness spaces as microcosms of larger societal inequalities, and how we can work toward making them more accessible and inclusive.
>> Why being “neutral” in fitness and veganism isn’t actually neutral. (Spoiler: neutrality often protects the status quo.)
>> The myth of "personal responsibility" in fitness and veganism, and why it ignores the massive systemic factors at play.
Get in touch with Coach K:
>> Drop me a line!
>> Coach K on Instagram
Mentioned in this episode:
Here are the other episodes I mentioned, in the order in which they were discussed:
>> NBSV 133: Justice Roe Williams of Fitness4AllBodies on deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex
>> NBSV 070: Why vegans shouldn't support PETA, and how to assess whether an animal sanctuary is legit
>> NBSV 087: Raydel Hernandez on "veganizing" Cuban foods and sharing traditional recipes in vegan form
Episode transcript:
>> This episode is a spoken version of this article.
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