Kathy Freston, author and vegan, recently published her fifth book, The Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World. Kathy was a big part of Oprah Winfrey's vegan challenge. Her job was to help people embrace their new diet by teaching them about vegan options. Her approach is to lean into veganism. I can appreciate this approach and am a big believer in commending people for even small changes. I do, however, think it’s also important to discuss the big picture and the ultimate goal. Putting less poison into our bodies and killing fewer animals still leaves us with health problems and ethical challenges.
Kathy Freston took one of Oprah’s employees and her young daughter on a grocery shopping trip. Their goal was to pick meals the family already eats and veganize them. Their meals centered around pizza, spaghetti, and tacos. The trip involved purchasing a lot of processed imitation meat products. Some of these taste good, and some not so good. Healthwise, these products usually have a lot of sodium and depending on the product, a lot of calories and fat. There is no doubt switching to a vegan diet is a transition, however, more discussion was needed about plant-based, whole food options. Vegans have a vast variety of healthy foods available: fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Kathy did present Oprah with a tray of healthier foods which included “cheese” and crackers and a fruit smoothie with added broccoli. Oprah’s reaction was positive due to the variety of foods on the tray. Apparently the smoothie tasted good, with no sign of the broccoli.
Kathy redeems herself later on in the show when she discusses how vegans can be junk food vegans. She recommends a diet of legumes, tofu, whole grains, tempeh, seitan, and meat alternatives. She went on to say there is a lot of research linking animal protein to obesity and cancer.
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D addresses the link between diet and cancer. It is a must read.
The End Results
The results of the challenge were given at the end of the show. The cafeteria will continue to offer vegan options every day and participate in “Meatless Mondays.” Meatless Mondays is catching on across the country in all kinds of dining establishments. The program is as simple as it sounds; no meat on Mondays!
The participating staffers lost a total of 444 lbs. 78 people quit with a gain of 84 pounds. A record amount of toilet paper was used.
Some individual stories were shared. One staffer lost 11 pounds by the end of the week. He confessed he was a horrible eater and used to pop 6-8 antacids a day, and take ASA for migraines. After one week he says he feels as good as he ever has. Another staffer lost 5 pounds and is going to continue the program until the end of February.
Kathy Freston was concerned one of the volunteers was addicted to junk food. After weaning herself off of the offending foods she is going to stick with the diet for 21 days. Another female participant let us know she went from weekly bowel movements to daily ones! I’m sure that was a much needed change.
Conclusions
Michael Pollan and Kathy Freston join Oprah on stage for the conclusion of the show. Nicole Johnson-Hoffman is seated in the front row of the audience.
After all the results are revealed Michael Pollan appears to be unable to contain himself; he feels compelled to say there is nothing evil about meat, and eating some is okay.
Kathy Freston, the vegan, agreed with him (?) but said eating meat doesn’t sit right in her soul. She went through an insightful speech about mercy, compassion, and growing as a person into her values. Her reasoning was posed as a question. “Can I look into the eyes of an animal and say that your pain and suffering aren’t as important as my appetite?”
Oprah picks up on this and proceeds to tell Kathy the animals aren’t made to suffer. How does Oprah know this? The general manager of the slaughterhouse has told her; Lisa Ling continues to eat meat even after her observations.Before making a decision about something It is always a good idea to look at the source of your information. Is it self-serving?
Kathy goes on to tell us how over 9 billion of the 10 billlion animals killed annually are chickens and turkeys. Their slaughterhouses were not designed by Temple Grandin and they live in deplorable conditions. She is referring to the fact that over 95% of chickens are factory farmed and then killed violently. It has also been revealed earlier in the show that the Fort Morgan plant is the best of the best and other slaughterhouses are not near as clean or efficient. This usually means less than humane conditions for the animals
In addition to concerns about the treatment of animals, consumers are often worried about the future of the small farmer. These farmers are either being forced out of business or into bankruptcy by corporations like Monsanto. Please see the movie Food, Inc. for an in-depth discussion of this crisis in our food production system .
Oprah concludes that we must all be more conscious about where our food comes. Unfortunately this conclusion really doesn’t change anything. It is a feel-good approach with no action required.
Oprah’s Opportunity
Oprah had a great opportunity to talk about the ethics of eating meat and the suffering of farm animals; in my humble opinion she blew it. She could have delved deeper into the subject and found plenty of information documenting the abuse of farm animals. We all want to believe the animals we eat are treated well. We also like to think they have no other purpose than for us to eat them. This way of thinking absolves us of any wrongdoing. Sadly, this thought process was perpetuated.
Whether you agree or disagree with taking the life of an animal to put food on your plate I think most of us would agree humane treatment is necessary. The reality is we can’t keep up with the demand for meat in this country and raise animals in the way they should be allowed to live. Most of the animals we eat live short lives devoid of their natural behaviors, e.g.grazing and raising their young.
The term veganish was coined during the show as a compromise to full-blown veganism. While everyone practicing a veganish lifestyle would certainly bring about some changes, real change will occur when we realize we can’t continue raising animals for food. Until that happens we will continue to battle health, weight, ethical, and environmental issues in this country. We will continue to call ourselves animal lovers when what we really mean is we love cats and dogs. Nicole from Cargills said, “We love vegans too.” I don’t need her love but the animals do.
For more on this topic, read Oprah and the Vegan Challenge: A Vegan's Perspective.
Terri Nelson-Bunge - Terri Ann Nelson-Bunge is a graduate from Penn State with a degree in dietetics. She is also certified in plant-based nutrition from ...
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