Dr. Richard Oppenlander is a sustainability consultant, researcher, and author whose award winning book, Comfortably Unaware has been endorsed as a must-read by Ellen DeGeneres, Dr. Jane Goodall, and Dr. Neal Barnard, among others. Dr. Oppenlander is a much sought after lecturer on the topic of food choice and how it relates to sustainability, all within the framework of fresh perspectives and critical insights. He also serves as an advisor to world hunger projects in developing countries and with municipalities in the U.S. Dr. Oppenlander has spent 40 years studying the effects food choices have on our planet and on us. He started an organic plant based food production company, operates an animal rescue sanctuary (with his wife Jill), and is the founder and president of the non-profit organization, Inspire Awareness Now. Dr. Oppenlander has written a new, groundbreaking book titled, “Food Choice and Sustainability: Why Buying Local, Eating Less Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won’t Work”, which has just been released and is now available. Visit the Comfortably Unaware website for more.
***To win a FREE copy of this must-read, world-shifting book, see below (after the excerpt)***
The demand to eat animal products contributes heavily to global warming and global depletion, and in doing so, it affects everyone on earth. In the U.S. and other developed countries, eating animals is one of the most significant risk factors found in nearly all of the most common diseases. It is, therefore, heavily implicated in rising health care costs, health insurance premiums, foods prices, and even labor costs for businesses. Those who eat animals are driving up all these costs while driving down productivity.
More than $3 trillion dollars were spent on health care in 2012 ($2.83 trillion in 2009, growing at 6 percent per year) in the U.S.
Of that, minimally $130 billion dollars spent were due to dietary choices related to livestock. I believe this figure is quite conservative and could be as high as $350 billion due to eating animals, because this is how some of the $3 trillion was spent:
$300 billion—heart disease
$200 billion—diabetes
$190 billion—obesity
$124 billion—cancer
$88 billion—food-borne illness
These figures are truly staggering and are for just one single year. They also do not reflect loss of productivity. For obesity alone, it is estimated that the annual cost of the workdays missed is $30 billion, with employers losing, on average, $3,800 per year for a single obese person.
These are not just figures or statistics to me; they’re patterns that tell a story about what we choose to eat as a society and what happens to us afterwards—the stark and very real consequences. Eating animal products increases risks of contracting diseases that contribute to all of these health care costs. Eating plants, on the other hand, will take you in the other direction, protecting you from developing these diseases. All of this should be factored into our national health insurance plan and the premiums and taxes we pay. I often pose the question “Why should I pay for what everyone else decides to eat?”
My health care costs for the past forty years have been zero. I’ve never taken one aspirin, ibuprofen, or antibiotic. I’ve certainly prescribed quite a few medications over the years, but I have not taken any medications of any type. I have been at the same weight since I was sixteen years old. Thus far, I have not missed one day’s work for the past forty years from being ill, and I’m certainly not special at all. It’s because of what I eat.
Even with suggestions or new guidelines for eating healthier food, most people don’t comply. With an average diet of 2,000 calories per day, one should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day (relative to age, physical activity, and gender). However, 94 percent of the U.S. population does not consume this minimum target.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a thirty-four-nation grouping of advanced economies, the average person in the U.S. spent $8,433 (public and private spending) on health care in 2011.
On average, an obese person spends $5,500 more on medical costs than a person of average weight in one year. In 2011, 36 percent of all adults in the U.S. were considered obese, and by 2018, it is estimated that will increase to 43 percent.
It is estimated that eating purely plant-based foods provides the following protective benefits, as compared to individuals eating the average amount of meat:
• 50 percent less risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)
• 40 percent less risk of cancer (breast, colon, prostate, ovarian,
pancreatic, lung)
• 70 percent less likelihood of adult onset diabetes
• 50 percent less likelihood of developing hypertension
As an example of what effect a purely plant-based diet would have on health care costs, let’s look for a moment at hypertension. Worldwide, $500 billion was spent on hypertension in 2011—twice that amount if indirect costs are included. A 50 percent less risk factor in developing hypertension, simply by a change in food choice (elimination of all animal products from the diet), would save billions of dollars as well as improving the lives of millions.
If additional money is needed to help reduce our national debt (implemented along with a reduction in federal spending) as well as a way to increase revenues in Washington, it can be obtained from eco- and health-risk taxes.
Developing strategies in drafting, voting into action, and implementation would require increased awareness and a much more serious and progressive approach to policy reform.
A 10 percent idle or empty calorie food tax has been studied and proposed, which would apply to soft drinks and eventually other highly processed unhealthy foods. This level of taxation is far too lenient for animal products, however. Although many more factors could apply, a surcharge of 320 percent on all meat and dairy products could be justified as the beginning point for a health-risk tax, given the increased risk percentages for animal products versus plant-based foods, as they relate to the four most common and costly chronic diseases and five most common cancers. A 320 percent health care tax on just beef products (which is only one-quarter of all meat eaten per person in terms of pounds) would yield $2 trillion per year, or $10 trillion in just five years. Additional revenues could be generated by way of an eco-tax, likely to be significantly higher than the 320 percent health-risk tax, if proper values are applied to resource use.
Let’s look at how this could be applied.
U.S. national debt exceeded $16 trillion in September 2012 ($11 trillion public debt and $5 trillion intragovernmental debt), which is very concerning on a number of levels. Fully two-thirds of that debt is owed to the U.S. government by American investors, the Social Security trust fund, and pension plans for civil service workers and military personnel—the debt is owed by us. Even though China is the largest foreign owner of U.S. debt, it holds less than 8 percent of the money borrowed by the U.S. over the years. Nevertheless, the national debt has been increasing an average of $4.89 billion per day since September 2007.
Taxing meat and other animal products with a health-risk tax and eco-tax (in addition to controlled government spending) would accomplish the following regarding economics and our national debt:
• Decrease health care costs by way of dietary measures
• Increase national wellness/productivity (reduce obesity, diabetes,
CHD, and other chronic diseases)
• Increase revenues to help offset the national deficit (national health
insurance, Social Security, new Farm Bill, etc.)
Of course, these benefits would be in addition to the many others that a transition to purely plant-based foods would provide, such as decreasing the production of unhealthy foods, increasing economic viability of small farms that produce organic plant-based foods, and decreasing all aspects of global depletion, including rampant pollution and our national contribution to global climate change.
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This Post Has 32 Comments
My favorite way to inspire others to lead a plant based lifestyle is to lead be example and to show them through my own life how awesome and easy it is
My favorite way to inspire others to live a plant based lifestyle is to cook/ bake tasty foods to show them how fun and easy this healthy lifestyle is!
My favorite way to inspire others is to take some out of this world delicious foods to parties and events and wait for everybody to rave and ask for recipes.
My favorite way to inspire others towards a sustainable, plant-based diet is to share recipes and cook with them. When going to another person's home for a party or holiday, I bring over a plant-based recipe book (Happy Herbivore is always a hit!) and make a delicious dish. They see what I'm doing, look through the book, and we have a very pleasant conversation 🙂
I like to prepare food for family and friends. Sometimes they are surprised that a plant based meal could be as delicious as it is.
Yes, not talking but doing/ best way to share!!! <3
I simply present disbelievers with the facts. The less animal products one consumes, the healthier one's body weight, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels…
I like to inspire others by sharing my story in hopes that it will help others!
Hopefully, giving Vegan cookbooks for Christmas presents will help other to realize you can enjoy eating meals with out meat.
I love making people taste how delicious plant based food actually is and how it is possible to have a satisfying meal without harming anyone.
The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us: humanity is brainlessly avoiding the real issues contributing to the Planet's demise. There is a cure, but we need to wake up soon and innoculate others using a plant based lifestyle and compassion for all things.
My favorite way to inspire others is to show confidence and pride in my vegan lifestyle, and to make and share delicious, plant-based foods that EVERYONE enjoys, no matter what they normally eat : )
I tell everybody about my plant-based lifestyle and I am soon publishing a book on plant-based nutrition for athletes. So many more people can benefit from this healthy lifestyle.
I try to inspire others by example. It's really hard at times and some people just do not want to change. But I keep trying:)
I'm with Courtney. Leading by example is important. It's also how I share my faith. You have to know WHAT you believe and WHY you believe it so when your asked you have the answers. If you walk by example people see your not just talking but your LIVING it. St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." In other words, lead by example. If necessary THEN use words. But by all means KNOW what you believe whether spiritual or physical health.
This is such an exciting time to be a part of the healthy plat-based movement. Veganism started to hit mainstream last year and I believe this year we will see a new wave of wellness take-off — so much gratitude goes out to people like Julieanna for helping to make it cool to eat plants!
leading by example and being open-minded and understanding of where they are
Live it out….as well as I teach over 250 HS students each year about the benefits of plant asked diet..
My clients are mostly middle age men from the South…so I've got my work cut out for me! But I love showing them how plant based meals they grew up on, like beans and greens, are good for them!
Slow and steady wins the race. I just keep plugging away to family and friends how much better I feel and how much better my health is since going vegan 3 years ago. It's a change you have to feel for yourself to understand. I try to encourage people to give up dairy first. You just have to put the idea in their heads and help them along as they realize they can eat wonderful foods without harming any creatures….and no one really wants to hurt animals.
Holy crap! I'm not the only Vegan on FB!
My favorite way to inspire others to pursue a plant-based diet is to simply provide people with the facts, set an example when I can, and answer questions when asked. I'm in high school and it's great when teachers and other students show interest in my diet/ lifestyle. 🙂
My favorite way to inspire others towards a plant based diet is through showing them that it doesn't mean limiting your food choices but instead, it can mean broadening it (thousands of beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits etc.)
Question: What is your favorite way of inspiring others to move towards a sustainable, plant-based diet?
Answer: Gosh, I am still working on finding a way to do it without losing a friendship! The people who would listen, and who have listened, already like me. (I think?). The challenge is to get someone outside of my close circles to consider a change in diet. I don't much talk about the health benefits, since my primary concerns are environmental, and specifically, global warming. Here again, I haven't yet come up with an effective way to convince people. But I'm working on it.
My Favorite way is to "Do as I do, learn from me" I have tried eating a plant based diet in the past and enjoyed it, so now i'm back again to make it a true lifestyle change with my daughters in tow…they let me know this year that do not want to eat meat!! I have been teaching them all that i have learned, but this year we are really stepping it up, as well as me working on being a Lifestyle coach. My ultimate goal was to teach others, if i can learn then so can anyone else. But have to "walk the walk to talk the talk"!! I'm coming up on 10years of keeping my weight off but its the healthy lifestyle that i chose to live and to be able to help others!!!! I'm a sponge ready to soak up all the information I can!!
Yes! Thank you and cheers to it being cool to eat plants!
As a caterer and an artist I probably enjoy creating beautiful and nutritious vegan dishes that amaze people who aren't familiar with how delicious and fulfilling it can be to eat this way, more than anything else. But if I have to pick a favorite way of inspiring others to a vegan lifestyle, I would have to say that's through writing about the numerous ways the power of our food choices affect our collective health, our animal kin, and the entire planet . This includes trying to come up with a different angle for each new article that will help readers connect the dots for themselves!)
My husband and I have been working towards a plant-based diet for the last 2 1/2 years. We love the new foods we've tried and wouldn't go back to the eating the way we used to if someone paid us. Best of all, we know we are helping our two young boys grow up healthy and with a better idea of what healthy bodies need. Thanks for helping to spread the word, it's becoming less and less 'taboo' to be vegan 🙂
My favourite way to inspire others to lead a plant-based diet is to show people how delicious, diverse and flavourful vegan food can be! I love to make vegan baked goods and am always on the lookout for interesting ways to use fruits and veggies. I think preparing food is the best way to show people that they will not be missing out on anything by switching to a vegan diet!
I think the best way to inspire others is to show them all the benefits of a plant-based diets – environmental, economic and health benefits. You can also ask people to start by eating a plant-based diet one day of the week and gradually switching completely.
The Cost of Eating Animals | Plant Based Dietitian, Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony
Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.