The vegan diet is very hard on the body.
The story didn’t say he was a vegan, it said he was a vegetarian, which can be healthy, when done properly.
Adventists, who promote vegetarianism, on average live between 5 and 10 years longer than the average American and they have a higher functional ability at any given age as well.
A proper vegetarian diet is good for the body, not bad for it.