Eat meat

By: David Martosko
Newspaper: Miami Herald

Susan Levin went a little overboard in her conclusion that Oprah Winfrey's three-week experiment with meatless and dairy-free eating is "one of the best things to ever happen to public health." [Oprah checks out the vegan diet: Will America follow?, May 27, From Our Inbox]. There's nothing wrong with a vegan diet for the 1 percent of Americans who enjoy it. But giving up meat and dairy foods is not a recognized cure for heart disease, cancer or other ailments. And unlike animal-rights advocates such as Levin, most Americans don't have any moral qualms about eating a cheeseburger. Winfrey is attempting a dietary makeover with the help of the finest chefs money can buy. For the rest of us, going vegan means tofu pizza and drumstick-shaped tempeh loaf. The majority of Americans don't want or need to go to extremes to be healthy. With a little exercise and a balanced diet, we can enjoy milk, strip steaks, chicken sandwiches, and bacon. Definitely bacon. DAVID MARTOSKO Research Director Center for Consumer Freedom Washington, D.C.