In 1944 a group of strict vegetarians formed the Vegan Society and called their diet a vegan diet to distinguish it from an ordinary vegetarian diet. Vegans are people who do not eat any food of animal origin. Their diet therefore consists of cereals, pulses — beans, peas, lentils — nuts, fruit and vegetables. A vegetarian diet is similar except that it also includes eggs and/or milk. In recent years vegetarian and, to a lesser extent, vegan diets have increased in popularity. The usual reason is ethical: a distaste for eating animal flesh and the abhorrence of animal suffering. It should be emphasised that veganism is a way of life, and is not a form of food faddism.