The Mayor Went Vegan, Then Spread the Word

[Calliegirl]

I hope other towns start doing this.

...Get Healthy Marshall was started by the five-term mayor, Ed Smith, and his wife, Amanda, who directs the nonprofit group. When Mr. Smith received a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2008, he decided to treat it with aggressive dietary changes under a doctor’s supervision. He began eating only whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Scans later showed that the cancerous growth had disappeared.

“Many people are using that approach and getting great results,” said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a preventive-medicine group that advocates a vegan diet.

The Smiths thought that lifestyle could benefit others. In 2011 the couple held two events in Marshall that featured the former firefighter Rip Esselstyn, who helped his colleagues switch to a plant-based diet and wrote the New York Times best seller “The Engine 2 Diet.” One event was for firefighters, and the other was for all residents. When the residents’ talk drew nearly 200 people, the Smiths decided to underwrite an annual festival...

The Mayor Went Vegan, Then Spread the Word

 

[Second Summer]

Although the diet promoted in Marshall excludes animal products, most refer to it that way, avoiding the term vegan. “Vegan” calls to mind what you cannot eat, while “plant-based, whole foods” emphasizes what you can, said Shannon Johnson, the Zumba instructor who converted Ms. VanDeCarr.

There's that term again! I think this plant-based approach has a lot of merit, actually. I think most people can get on board with the health and even environmental benefits of a plant-based, whole foods diet. Unfortunately, the ethical benefits with regards to animals is not a powerful motivator with most people. Also, "plant-based, whole foods" is obviously an easier sell than "vegan, whole foods". These people wouldn't be proper vegans anyway. From a vegan perspective, this is still very good news, since it paves the way for proper veganism. Once animal products are not something people are emotionally attached to any more, they also become more receptive to the ideas that animals are worthy of consideration, have intrinsic value etc.

 

[Amy SF]

That's pretty cool! Whodathunk a small town in East Texas would embrace veganism as much as these people have?

 

[spottygiraffe]

That's great! I can safely say it would never happen in France....

I've just read 'Whole', which advocates the benefits of a plant-based, whole-food diet and I found it fascinating. I want all my friends and family to read it because it makes claims that the vegan diet can stop or reverse cancer and prevent heart disease, diabetes etc. I don't want to sound preachy though so it would be better if they discovered it for themselves......

 

[Trinity]

This is awesome news.
'Plant Based' sounds a lot less threating to people who don't want to be labelled... it's gotten loads of people comfortable with eating vegan over the last few years!