Why I'm Vegan  Facts excerpted from the Pulitzer Prize nominated Diet for a New America by John Robbins. Full documentation of every fact is in the book available from EarthSave. Index Energy Feedlot Sewage Nutrition World Hunger Topsoil Depletion Rainforest Destruction Food Groups Pesticides, Sterility Animal Factories Antibiotics   Athletic Performance     Energy, True Cost Length of time the world's petroleum reserves would last if all human beings ate meat-centred diets: 13 years Length of time the world's petroleum reserves would last if all human beings ate a vegetarian diet: 260 years Principal reason for U.S. military intervention in Persian Gulf: Dependence on foreign oil Barrels of oil imported daily by U.S.: 6,800,000 Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil energy expended) of most energy efficient factory farming of meat: 34.5% Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil energy expended) of least energy efficient plant food: 32.8% Pounds of soybeans produced by the amount of fossil fuel needed to produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 40 Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all purposes presently consumed to produce current meat-centred diet: 33 Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all purposes needed to produce fully vegetarian diet: 2 User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the United States: Livestock production Quantity of water used in the production of the average cow sufficient to: Float a destroyer Water needed to produce 1 pound of wheat: 25 gallons Water needed to reduce 1 pound of meat: 2,500 gallons Cost of common hamburger meat if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by U.S. taxpayers: $35/pound Current cost for pound of protein from wheat: $1.50 Current cost for pound of protein from beefsteak: $15.40 Cost for pound of protein from beefsteak if U.S. taxpayers ceased subsidizing meat industry's use of water: $89 Index     Feedlot Sewage Production of excrement by total U.S. human population: 12,000 pounds/second Production of excrement by U.S. livestock: 250,000 pounds/second Sewage systems in U.S. cities: Common Sewage systems in U.S. feedlots: Nil Amount of waste produced annually by U.S. livestock in confinement operations which is not recycled: 1 billion tons Relative concentration of feedlot wastes compared to raw domestic sewage: Ten to several hundred times more highly concentrated Where feedlot waste often ends up: In our water Index     Nutrition Number of U.S. medical schools: 125 Number of U.S. medical schools with required course in nutrition: 30 Training in nutrition received during 4 years of medical school by average U.S. physician: 2.5 hours How frequently a heart attack strikes in the U.S.: Every 25 seconds How frequently heart attack kills in U.S.: Every 45 seconds Most common cause of death in U.S.: Heart attack Risk of death from heart attack by average American man: 50% Risk of death from heart attack by average American vegetarian man: 15% Risk of death from heart attack by average American pure vegetarian man: 4% Amount you reduce your risk of heart attack by reducing your consumption of meat, dairy products, and eggs 10%: 9% Amount you reduce the risk of heart attack by reducing your consumption of meat, dairy products, and eggs by 50%: 45% Amount you reduce your risk of heart attack by reducing your consumption of meat, dairy products, and eggs by 100%: 90% Rise in blood cholesterol level from consuming 1 egg per day: 12% Rise in heart attack risk from 12% rise in blood cholesterol: 24% Meat, dairy, and egg industries claim there is no reason to be concerned about your blood cholesterol as long as it is: "normal" Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if your blood cholesterol is "normal": over 50% Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if you do not consume saturated fat and cholesterol: 5% Leading sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in American diets: Meat, dairy products, and eggs Hollywood celebrity paid by meat board to tout beef as "Real food for real people": James Garner Medical event experienced by James Garner in April, 1988: Quintuple coronary artery bypass surgery World populations with high meat intakes who do not have correspondingly high rates of colon cancer: None World populations with low meat intakes who do not have correspondingly low rates of colon cancer: None Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to women who eat meat less than once a week: 4 times higher Egg Board's advertising slogan: The incredible edible egg Photographs often accompanying the egg board's slogan: Young women in bathing suits, emphasizing the shape of their breasts Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat eggs daily compared to women who eat eggs less than once a week: 3 times higher Milk Producers original ad campaign slogan: "Everybody needs milk" What the Federal Trade Commission called the "Everybody needs milk" slogan: "False, misleading and deceptive" Milk Producer's revised campaign slogan: "Milk has something for everybody" Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat butter and cheese 3 or more times a week compared to women who eat these foods less than once a week: 3 times higher Part of female chicken's body that produces eggs: Ovaries Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week compared to women who eat eggs less than once a week: 3 times higher Foods males in U.S. are conditioned to think of as "manly": Animal products Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meats, cheese, eggs, and milk daily compared to men who eat these foods sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times higher     World Hunger Human population of United States: 243,000,000 Number of human beings who could be fed by the grain and soybeans eaten by U.S. livestock: 1,300,000,000 Sacred food of Native Americans: Corn Percentage of corn grown in United States eaten by human beings: 20 Percentage of corn grown in United States eaten by livestock: 80 Percentage of oats grown in United States eaten by livestock: 95 Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90 Percentage of carbohydrate wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 99 Percentage of dietary fibre wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 100 How frequently a child dies of starvation: Every 2 seconds Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on 1 acre of land: 20,000 Pounds of beef that can be produced on 1 acre of land: 165 Percentage of U.S. agricultural land used to produce beef: 56 Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 16 Pounds of protein fed to chickens to produce 1 pound of protein as chicken flesh: 5 pounds Pounds of protein fed to hogs to produce 1 pound of protein as hog flesh: 7.5 pounds Number of children who starve to death every day: 40,000 Number of pure vegetarians who can be fed on the amount of land needed to feed 1 person consuming meat-based diet: 20 Number of people who will starve to death this year: 60,000,000 Number of people who could be adequately fed by the grain saved if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 60,000,000 Index     Topsoil Depletion Historic cause of demise of many great civilizations: Topsoil depletion Percentage of original U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75 Amount of U.S. cropland lost each year to soil erosion: 4,000,000 acres, the size of Connecticut Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly associated with livestock raising: 85 Number of acres of U.S. forest which have been cleared to create cropland to produce a meat-centred diet: 260,000,000 How often an acre of U.S. trees disappears: Every 8 seconds Amount of trees spared per year by each individual who switches to pure vegetarian diet: 1 acre Index     Rainforest Destruction A driving force behind the destruction of the tropical rainforests: American meat habit Amount of meat imported annually by U.S. from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama: 200,000,000 pounds Amount of meat eaten by average person in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama: Less than average American housecat Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests and r elated habitats: 1,000/year Index     Food Groups Recommended percentage of daily calories to be derived from protein according to World Health Organization: 4.5% Recommended percentage of daily calories to be derived from protein according to Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S.D.A: 6% Recommended percentage of daily calories to be derived from protein according to National Research Council: 8% Percentage of calories as protein in wheat: 17% Percentage of calories as protein in broccoli: 45% Percentage of calories as protein in rice: 8% Disease linked to inadequate protein consumption: Kwashiorkor Number of cases of kwashiorkor in United States: Virtually none Diseases linked to excess protein consumption: Osteoporosis and Kidney failure Number of cases of osteoporosis and kidney failure in the United States: Tens of millions The average measurable bone loss of female meat-eaters at age 65: 35% The average measurable bone loss of female vegetarians at age 65: 18% Person who popularized the concept of protein combining: Frances Moore Lappe Frances Moore lappe's updated research on a healthy, varied vegetarian diet: Protein combining is completely unnecessary. Health status of pure vegetarians from many populations of the world according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences: Excellent The Meat Board tells us: Today's meats are low in fat. The Meat Board shows us: A serving of beef they claim has "only 300 calories". The Meat Board doesn't tell us: The serving of beef they show us is only 3 ounces (half the size of an average serving of beef) and has been surgically defatted with a scalpel. The dairy industry tells us: Whole milk is 3.5% fat The dairy industry doesn't tell us: That 3.5% figure is based on weight, and most of the weight in milk is water The dairy industry doesn't want us to know: The amount of calories as fat in whole milk is 50% Oscar Mayer tells us: It is "myth" that hot dogs are fatty Oscar Mayer demonstrates their point by favourably comparing the fattiness of hot dogs to such l ow fat bastions as: Margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and cream cheese The Dairy Council tells us: Milk is nature's most perfect food The Dairy Council doesn't tell us: Milk is nature's food for a baby calf, who has four stomachs, will double its weight in 47 days and is destined to weigh 300 pounds within a year The Dairy Council tells children: To grow up big and strong, drink lots of milk The Dairy Council occasionally tells children: The enzyme necessary for digestion of milk is lactase The Dairy Council never tells children: 20% of caucasian children and 80% of Black children have no lactase in their intestines. The meat, dairy, and egg industries tell us: Animal products constitute 2 of the "Basic 4" food groups The meat, dairy, and egg industries don't tell us: There were originally 12 official basic food groups, before these industries applied enormous political pressure on behalf of their products The meat, dairy, and egg industries tell us: We are well-fed only with animal products The meat, dairy, and egg industries don't tell us: The diseases which are commonly prevented, consistently improved, and sometimes cured by low-fat vegetarian diet include: Strokes, Heart disease Kidney stones Breast cancer Prostate cancer Pancreatic cancer Cervical cancer Stomach cancer Diabetes Hypoglycemia Peptic ulcers Constipation Hiatal hernias Diverticulosis Gallstones Hypertension Salmonellosis Trichinosis Osteoporosis Colon cancer Ovarian cancer Endometrial cancer Kidney disease Hemorrhoids Obesity Asthma Irritable colon syndrome       Index     Pesticides, Sterility Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by meat: 55% Pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by Dairy products: 23% Pesticide residues in U.S. diet supplied by vegetables: 6% Pesticide residues in U.S. diet supplied by fruits: 4% Pesticide residues in U.S. diet supplied by grains: 1% Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99% Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8% Relative pesticide contamination in breast milk of meat-eating mothers compared to pesticide contamination in breast milk of vegetarian mothers: 35 times as high Percentage of male college students sterile in 1950: 0.5 Percentage of male college students sterile in 1978: 25 Sperm count of average American male compared to 30 years ago: Down 30% Principle reason for sterility and sperm count reduction in U.S. males: Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, including dioxin, DDT, etc Percentage of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide residues in American diet attributable to meats, dairy products, fish and eggs: 94% The meat Board tells us not to be concerned about the dioxin and other pesticides in today's beef because: the quantities are too small The meat board doesn't want us to know: How potent dioxin and the other pesticides are. The meat board particularly doesn't want us to know: A mere ounce of dioxin could kill 10 million people The USDA tells us: Our meat is inspected The USDA doesn't tell us: Less than 1 out of every quarter million slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues The dye used for many years by the USDA for many years to stamp meats "Choice", "Prime", or "U.S. No.1 USDA": Violet Dye No.1. Current status of Violet Dye No.1: Banned as proven carcinogen Index     Animal Factories Wingspan of average leghorn chicken: 26 inches Space average leghorn chicken given in egg factories: 6 inches Number of 700 plus pounds pigs confined to space the size of a twin bed in typical factory farm: 3 Reason today's veal is so tender: Calves never allowed to take single step Reason today's veal is whitish-pink: Calves force fed an anemia-producing diet McDonald's brags: 60 million sold McDonald's doesn't brag about: 50 million butchered McDonald's clown, Ronald McDonald, tells children: Hamburgers grow in hamburger patches and love to be eaten. McDonald's clown, Ronald McDonald,doesn't tell children: Hamburgers are ground up cows who've had their throats slit by machetes or their brains bashed in by sledgehammers Original actor to play Ronald McDonald: Jeff Juliano Diet now followed by Jeff Juliano: Vegetarian Number of animals killed for meat per hour in U.S.: 500,000 Occupation with highest employee turnover rate in U.S.: Slaughterhouse worker Occupation with highest employee rate of injury in U.S.: Slaughterhouse worker Cost to render an animal unconscious prior to slaughter with captive bolt pistol so that process is done humanely: 1 penny Reason given by meat industry for not utilizing captive bolt pistol: Too expensive Index     Antibiotics Percentage of total antibiotics used in U.S. fed routinely to livestock: 55 Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13 Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1988: 91 Reason: Breeding of antibiotic resistant bacteria in factory farms due to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock Effectiveness of all "wonder-drug" antibiotics: Declining rapidly Reason: Feeding of antibiotics resistant bacteria in factory farms due to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock Response by entire European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Banned Response by American meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Full and complete support Index     Athletic Performance Only man to win ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott, 6 time winner Food choices of Dave Scott: Vegetarian World record holder for 24 hour triathlon (swim 4.8 miles, cycle 185 miles, run 52.5 miles): Sixto Linares Food choices of Sixto Linares: Strict vegetarian Athlete who most totally dominated Olympic sport in track and field history: Edwin Moses, undefeated in 8 years, 400 meter hurdles Food choices of Edwin Moses: Vegetarian Other notable vegetarian athletes: Stan Price: World record-bench press Robert Sweetgall: World's premier ultra-distance walker Paavo Nurmi: 20 World's records in distance running, 9 olympic medals Bill Pickering: World record swimming English Channel Murray Rose: World records 400 and 1500 meter freestyles Andreas Cahling: Winner Mr International body building championships Roy Hilligan: Winner Mr America body building championships Pierreo Verot: World's record for downhill endurance skiing Estelle Gray and Cherly Marek: World's record for cross-country tandem cycling James and Johnathon deDonato: World's record for distance butterfly stroke swimming Ridgely Abele: Winner of 8 national championships in Karate, including U.S. Karate Association World Championships Index Information about the Book For the complete documentation of all the facts contained in "Realities 1989", read Diet for a New America. Order from EarthSave for $15.70 (including shipping); write for multiple copy discounts. All orders shipped bookrate. Contact EarthSave at: 706 Frederick Street Santa Cruz, CA 95062-2205 (408)423-4069 (?) Information about Softcopy Feel free to copy and distribute "Realities 1989". Please copy it in its entirety and, if hardcopy, please be sure that the reproduction is of good quality. The ASCII version of "Realities" had been copied in its entirety by Carol Hall of Harold Hill, Essex, England and distributed electronically by Ben Leamy (A68ls@pel.ac.uk) for the sole purpose of promoting a vegetarian lifestyle by education. Typing errors not found in the original may exist. All standard disclaimers apply. Further distribution in its entirety is encouraged. (Ben 24th July 1991) Thanks to Dilip Barman, president of the Triangle Vegetarian Society, who found the ASCII version on November 15th, 1995 and converted it to HTML for the web.