PETA Urges Oklahoma City Mayor to Shed Pounds by Dumping Meat

Contact:Bruce Friedrich 757-622-7382

Oklahoma City - After learning that Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett is encouraging residents to lose weight by setting up a Web site where people can sign up to track their weight loss, PETA has sent the mayor a letter with some dieting advice: Go vegetarian.

"Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vegetarians are far less likely to be overweight than meat-eaters and far more likely to be in better overall health," writes PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, an Oklahoma native, in his letter to Cornett. "The American Dietetic Association--the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals--reviewed hundreds of studies and concluded that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer than people who eat meat."

To help the mayor achieve his goal of encouraging Oklahoma City residents shed a total of 1 million pounds, PETA is offering to send its sexy Lettuce Ladies to cohost a "Ditch the Meat, Lose the Fat" Oklahoma-style cookout--complete with meatless Boca Chik'n Patties, Gardenburger Riblets, and all the fixins--for everyone who signs up for the mayor's "This City Is Going on a Diet" program.

PETA's letter to Mayor Cornett follows.

January 10, 2008
The Honorable Mick Cornett Oklahoma City Mayor

Dear Mayor Cornett:

On behalf of PETA and our more than 1.8 million members and supporters and as an Oklahoma native (I grew up in Oklahoma, and my father taught at Oklahoma University for more than 20 years), I am writing to thank you for your efforts to help Oklahoma City's residents lose weight. I'm also writing to offer our assistance—specifically, PETA would like to cohost a "Ditch the Meat, Lose the Fat" Oklahoma-style cookout with you for all residents who sign up for your "This City Is Going on a Diet" program.

Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vegetarians are far less likely to be overweight than meat-eaters and far more likely to be in better overall health. The American Dietetic Association--the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals--reviewed hundreds of studies and concluded that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer than people who eat meat. A healthy vegetarian diet provides all the nutrients a person needs to thrive--without the saturated animal fats and cholesterol found in meat that cause weight gain and clogged arteries.

As you may know, a government review of all the studies on weight loss found that two-thirds of dieters gain all the weight back within a year, and a whopping 97 percent gain it all back within five years. This yo-yo weight fluctuation is worse than being overweight; 97 percent of dieters would have been better off if they hadn't even bothered. The only weight-loss plan that has been scientifically proved to take weight off and keep it off for more than a year is a vegetarian diet. Many delicious vegan foods are naturally low in fat, so quantity and calorie restrictions are unnecessary. The introduction to Dr. Dean Ornish's book Eat More, Weigh Less is an excellent introduction to this topic.

At the cookout, our beautiful Lettuce Ladies (clad only in bikinis made of lettuce leaves) would serve a wide range of delicious low-fat vegetarian meals, such as Boca Chik'n Patties (a vegetarian version of chicken but with half the fat and none of the cholesterol) and Gardenburger Riblets (a healthier alternative to pig flesh). Of course, we'd also have all the fixings, such as vegetarian baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, and low-fat vegan apple pie. We would also provide each participant with a complimentary copy of PETA's "Vegetarian Starter Kit" (which can be ordered for free at GoVeg.com) that's full of delicious recipes to make at home.

Please contact me for more information or to work out details and to set a date for the cookout. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Bruce FriedrichVice President