Others have already answered, but to address the health issue allow me to mention a credible source [1], written by one of the leading experts on the relation between nutrition and health. The word 'vegan' appears only a couple of times in this book, but what it advises approaches veganism, based on purely decades-long research.

The research shows that more than a little meat is not healthy (unless you have no better alternative), and there is no harm in not eating meat at all.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Healthy-Harvard/dp/074326...

I'll throw my support behind this: http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Healthy-Harvard/dp/074326...