I was a chubby child. I liked to eat all sorts of fatty, unhealthy foods – especially hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, ice cream, hot dogs and ham-and-cheese sandwiches. I grew a little pudgier every year, and I worried that I would have to wear a tent to my senior prom instead of a tuxedo. But in 1992, I stopped eating meat, eggs and dairy products for ethical reasons, and I slimmed down. An obesity epidemic continued to expand around me, though. It has already ruined the health of millions of Americans, and it's rapidly spreading to the rest of the world. The World Health Organization is predicting that in five years, nearly 2.3 billion adults will be overweight. Current statistics show that one out of every three Egyptian women is overweight. The solution to this problem is a vegan diet. As Dr John McDougall, the founder and director of the Maximum Weight Loss Program, says, “There is only one way to fully satisfy your appetite with delicious foods and stay trim and healthy for a lifetime – that's a low-fat vegetarian diet with fruits and vegetables and a bit of exercise”. Meat, eggs and dairy products – which make up a large portion of many people's diets – are high in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol. Animal flesh is designed to store calories, which makes it one of the worst things that a dieter can eat. Even supposedly “lean” cuts of meat derive at least 20 to 40 per cent of their total calories from fat, and “low-fat” dairy products are actually packed with fat and cholesterol, unlike fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Studies show that people who eat animal-derived products are much more likely to be obese and suffer from obesity-related health problems – including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and cancer – than vegetarians and vegans are. Internationally renowned nutrition expert Dr T Colin Campbell says, “Quite simply, the more you substitute plant foods for animal foods, the healthier you are likely to be. … A vegan diet – particularly one that is low in fat – will substantially reduce disease risks. Plus, we've seen no disadvantages from veganism. In every respect, vegans appear to enjoy equal or better health in comparison to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians”. Unlike meat, eggs and dairy products, plant-based foods are low in fat and calories and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. People mistakenly believe that carbohydrates are more fattening than meats. A gram of carbohydrates, however, has only four calories, while a gram of fat has nine calories. On average, vegetarians and vegans are 10 per cent leaner and live six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters. Dr. Susan Berkow and Dr Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reviewed 87 obesity studies and found that vegetarians were far less likely to be obese. They also found that people lost more weight on a vegetarian diet than on traditional or fad diets. It's easy to get all the nutrients that your body needs – without the fat and cholesterol found in meat, eggs and dairy products – from a balanced vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, soya products, lentils, nuts, seeds, brown rice and other healthy plant-based foods. If you're ready to lead a healthier, longer, happier life, visit GoVeg.com for a free copy of the vegetarian/vegan starter kit, weight loss tips and testimonials from people who lost weight by switching to a vegan diet. ** Jason Baker is the director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia. To get involved with PETA's work in Egypt, visit PETAAsiaPacific.com. BM
