Neal Barnard, M.D.
Neal Barnard, M.D.
Physicians Committee
"Surprisingly, hearing the truth—even very loudly—has little effect on human behavior. Culture, not truth, dictates most people’s actions. And that’s understandable. If a sheep had to decide whether a low growl really was a wolf, calculate the likelihood of an attack and estimate the wolf’s running speed, he’d be eaten before he could figure out what to do. Instead, he follows the fleeing herd. People are much the same. If a doctor points out that this Stone Age habit of meat-eating causes heart disease, colon cancer, and many other problems, people are not likely to look up the research studies, consider the evidence, or take any action whatsoever. They are likely to do what they see their friends and family doing because their brains are hardwired to find safety in what numbers of people do. But the situation is not hopeless. It means that we have to work to change our culture in all its facets: we need to show scientific evidence, get celebrities and thought-leaders involved, make movies, and do everything else to show that our culture now embraces plant-based diets. That’s what happened with smoking, and eventually, we reached the tipping point. We’ll get there with food, too."
"The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of "real food for real people" you'd better live real close to a real good hospital."
