U.S. author claims meat, dairy products killing us MOST OF us can remember the cheerfully colored Cana- dian Food Guide charts up on the schoolroom wall, advis- ing us to include a g::0d number of meat and dairy servings in our diet. A recently released book called Diet for a New America, however, argues that meat and dairy products are not only nutritionally unneccessary, they can be downright unhealthy. Author John Robbins, 42, is a story unto himself. The only son of the founder of the Baskin- Robbins ice cream empire, he walked away from the business 20 years ago to follow his own path — which eventually led him into writing his Pulitzer Prize- nominated expose of the North American meat and dairy in- dustries. Robbins will be visiting Vancouver tater this month to discuss his groundbreaking book. If you're concerned about resource conservation (growing grains, vegetables and fruits uses, less than five per cent of the raw materials needed to produce meat, says Robbins), your personal health (societies who have demon- strated the longest life-spans are vegetarian or close :o it), en- vironmental well-being (our topsoil is being depleted and Central and Latin American rainforests are be- ing exploited to support North American beef consuniption) or the often horrible conditions that factory animals are subjected to when they are alive, Robbins says the most important step to take is | LIMITED TIME FRIVIERA & News Reporter to reduce your meat consumption, whether or not you decide to become a complete vegetarian. Robbins told the News from his California home that if North Americans cut down on their meat consumption by only 10 per cent, enough grain could be produced to feed all the people in the world who are dying of starvation. We would be much healthier, too -- scientific studies have demon- strated that our consumption of meat is a major contributing factor in heart disease, stroks, osteoporosis, cancer and a host of other disorders. Although one American meat producer has called the book ‘‘a combination of quasi-scientific gobbledygook and bleeding heart sentimentality,”” Robbins says that he took pains to include documen- tation and over 3,000 citations in the book’s appendix because he expected such a backlash from the meat and dairy industries. ‘‘We Unbelievable prices for blinds. Custom made by Levolor, the leading name in window fashions. Includes life time warranty. TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE, &... pEXPERIENCE THE LEVOLOR DIFFERENCE : HURRY — LAST DAY TO ORDER — MARCH 31, 1990 — win every challenge because the facts are the facts,”’ he said. ‘*Our meat habit is in fact the single most negative influence on our life support systems today."* Although he says these food in- dustries are ‘‘very threatened’? by the statements put forward in Dier for a New America, the overall reader response has been over- whelmingly positive. His book has received kudos from a_ large number of well-known health pro- fessionals, athletes, dietitians and environmentalists, and his non- profit organization, EarthSave, has received over 10,000 letters of support from individuals who have been touched by the book. “I see a lot of grounds for hope,’ said Robbins. ‘‘Every day there are more people who are willing to bring their own lives into alignment with what is needed."* Robbins has been asked to speak at hundreds of events, the most re- cent a multi-cultural Unicef gath- ering at the United Nations. But according to Robbins, many other people are very ‘‘emotionally resistent’’ to the facts he reveals because a meat and milk-laden diet is such an ingrained pact of our See Diet Page 40 WALLPAPER IN STOCK Most patterns. 799 °g9S S/R SiR °G99 SiR Hundreds to choose from. 39 - Wednesday, March 21, 1990 bh Shore News Bake chocoiate cake PAGE 42 5 EWS photo Cindy Goodman AUTHOR John Robbins says our planet is what we eat in his controver- sial book Diet for a New America. Robbins will be speaking in Van- couver next week, SALE DATES MARCH 9-MARCH 25, 1990 PREMIUM PAINTS og FLAT LATEX PAINT PR SAR] Flat Semi-Gloss Latex Latex 1999 °2699 Alkyd Flat, Eggshell Eggshell or Latex Semi-Gloss - 1°2399°2G99 03760 INTERIOR FLAT LATEX OAD Cloverdale Paint IN 1629 Lonsdale Avenue Across from Supervalu 985-6815 HOURS: Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am-5:30 pm Fri.: 7:36 am-9:00 pm; Sat: 9:00 am-5:39 pm; Sundays & Holidays: 10:00 am-5:00 pm