No Industry Enthusiasm for PETA's Vegan Proposal

The food industry has gotten a lot of ridicule for its support of dubious nutrition programs lately. Health experts have criticized the American Academy of Family Physicians for partnering with the Coca-Cola Company to teach kids about nutrition. The Smart Choices program, which puts a green check mark on supposedly healthier products, faced so much criticism for its endorsement of sugary products that it put itself on hold.

So wouldn't you think companies like Kellogg, Mars and PepsiCo would be grateful for organizations that take their nutritional efforts at face value? The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, for example. While bloggers like me mocked the announcement of an industry-backed program to tackle obesity, PETA had a much warmer response. In fact, PETA liked the idea of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation so much, it asked to join.

PETA "would be an ideal partner," the animal rights group wrote in a letter to the group. All HWCF needs to do to meet its goals is to promote a vegan diet -- i.e. a diet free of meat, eggs, dairy or other animal products. This is, according to PETA, "the only nutritionally sound weight-loss plan that has been scientifically proven to take weight off and keep it off for more than a year."

For some reason, the companies behind Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation were not quick to jump on board. PETA's letter went out two weeks ago, but when I checked in with them recently, a PETA spokeswoman told me HWCF had yet to respond. Though she still remained "hopeful." Apparently there is no limit on people's capacity for delusion.

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