Innovative Move Will Improve Students' Health and Save Animals' Lives
For Immediate Release:
October 3, 2011
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
Rochester, Mich. — For offering a unique new course on the potentially lifesaving benefits of a vegan diet in its School of Nursing, Rochester, Mich.–based Oakland University will receive a Compassionate Campus Award from peta2, PETA's youth division. The seven-week online course—which is called "A Lifestyle Change to Improve Health: The Vegan Diet" and begins on October 3—is open to the public. In addition to focusing on the fast-growing array of delicious vegan foods available, the course will stress vegans' lower susceptibility to leading killers—such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—as well as the many other benefits of a vegan diet, including loss of unwanted pounds and an invigorating boost in energy levels.
"Universities are all about preparing students for the future, and going vegan is the best thing that students can do to protect their health throughout their lives," says peta2 Division Manager Marta Holmberg. "Vegans also enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that they're helping to protect animals and the planet every time they sit down to eat."
Meat, eggs, and dairy products contain no fiber and are loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. Consumption of animal-derived foods has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and strokes. Heart specialist Dr. Dean Ornish has demonstrated that following a naturally low-fat, vegan diet can often reverse the effects of heart disease in people who used to eat meat and dairy products.
A vegan diet is also good for the environment. A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. And, of course, meat is murder on animals. Every vegan saves the lives of more than 100 animals each year.
Oakland University will receive a framed certificate and will be featured on peta2's popular blog.
For more information, please visit peta2.com.