Bill Clinton: The New Face of Veganism?

The latest outspoken advocate of a vegan diet isn't who you might expect — it's not an animal rights' activist, nor is it the latest up-and-coming movie star. It's former president, Bill Clinton.

President Clinton wasn't always the picture of health. The media often commented on the former President's love of meat and fat-filled foods. Despite his running routine, that kind of eating landed President Clinton in hot water health-wise. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery six years ago, and this year, he had two new stents put in.

It's that health scare and his desire to be around for his grandkids that prompted President Clinton to put down the burger and pick up the broccoli, the former prez recently told Wolf Blitzer. President Clinton went totally dairy- and meat-free, and now claims to eat a diet centered on beans, legumes, fruits, and veggies, with the very-rare piece of fish thrown in. He's already lost 24 pounds by switching to a plant-based diet, and says that he now weighs what he weighed in high school.

Indeed, more and more evidence suggests that switching to a diet based on plants creates big benefits for personal health and the health of the environment. President Clinton recently mentioned the China Study, and cited the statistic that 82 percent of people who switched to a plant-based diet saw a full recovery in heart health — arterial blockages disappeared, and calcium buildups around the heart melted away. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tout the importance of consuming a diet based mostly on plants. The USDA's and HHS's most recent food pyramid focuses on mostly plants, whole grains, seafood, low-fat dairy products, and some lean meats — a far-cry from the meat-heavy pyramid of the 1950s.

Switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet also boasts planetary benefits, so long as it's done correctly. Producing a plate-full of veggies requires significantly less energy and fewer greenhouse gas emissions than creating a plate of meat (though there are certainly methods of meat production that are more sustainable than others). However, vegetarians/vegans that rely on processed, meat-free goods like veggie burgers and fakin bacon don't exactly do the environment any favors — creating these factory-made goods requires a ton of energy and fossil fuels.

Evidence of the planetary and health benefits of a plant-based diet keeps cropping up, and when notable faces like Bill Clinton join the cause, it will only boost the diet's popularity. To help push the movement forward even more, sign our petition asking the USDA and HHS to create a vegan-friendly food pyramid, which can help folks learn how to wean themselves off of meat and dairy.

Photo credit: sskennel via Flickr