Remember the article on vegan diets as "child abuse"?

[doodadem]

Sorry--this was forwarded to me without a link. I'm not vegan yet, but I could get there.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association pays for Sadistic Anti-Vegan "Study"

You may have heard about a study claiming that feeding a vegan diet to children is tantamount to "child abuse." What you may not have heard is that the "study" was paid for by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. What's more the study itself was depraved and showed no regard for human life. Like Nazis experimenting on captives, the Cattle industry manipulated very slightly the diets of starving African children -- not to benefit the children but to try to produce some "scientific finding" which justifies
meat-eating.

2/22/05 - They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Well, it's even more dangerous when it's wearing a lot of "respectable" titles. In one of the most irresponsible and flat out ignorant statements of recent days, Dr. Lindsay Allen, currently of the US Agricultural Research Service,told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that a vegan diet was so lacking in necessary nutrients that it is tantamount to child abuse.

Was this based on carefully conducted research? No. Was it based on
structured study with control groups and meticulous monitoring of what children ate? No. Was it perhaps based on a large number of children eating a normal vegan diet who were found to have a greater than usual risk for illness? No. Her basis for this bizarre and completely unfounded declaration was her experience in Africa. Children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans were given a little meat and their health improved. Not children on a normal, healthy vegan diet - children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans. Adding almost anything to their diet would have caused improvement. Just eating beans and corn isn't an accurate representation of a vegan diet any more than it's an accurate representation of a kosher diet. So what do you find when you look at children who are eating a normal vegan diet?
Children raised on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes grow up to be slimmer and healthier and even live longer than their meat-eating friends. Vegetarian and vegan diets can be a healthy way of eating for all age groups. Vegan diets can easily meet the nutritional needs of the growing child.
So why, then would a USDA representative make such a ridiculous claim? Could the many and strong ties between the USDA and the meat industry be one reason?
To find another, one need only look to who paid for this "study" -- none other than the National Cattleman's Beef Association.
Surprise surprise.
One of the more appalling aspects of this is that they are experimenting on starving children. These are kids who are clearly starving, they are not eating a "vegan" diet but a starvation diet. And yet like the Nazis who experimented on human prisoners, these meat industry "researchers" don't feed the starving, they don't give them enough food, they do some weird pro-animal food experiment to try to twist it into a political point to help the bottom line of the meat industry. Why is the meat industry experimenting on starving children in Africa? If Lindsay Allen, the meat industry's front person, tried to set up a sadistic experiment like this in
the US, experimenting on impoverished children, she would probably be tried and convicted of crimes against humanity. These are truly sick,ethically-challenged "researchers."
Consider writing your Congressional representatives and demanding that that the USDA and meat industry stop experimenting on young, starving children,and ask for an investigation.

Vesanto Melina RD comments:
I was called by the BBC to respond to the story "Children 'Harmed' By Vegan Diets". I am co-author of "Becoming Vegan", by dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, distributed in the UK by Airlift books; www.airlift.co.uk.
Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service had done a study in which providing animal products such as butter, cheese, milk, and meat improved the health and growth of impoverished and undernourished Kenyan children. Professor Allen failed to recognize that an assortment of plant foods that were nutrient rich and higher in protein and calories would have helped too. The findings from this study are not applicable to vegan children in the developed world.
In our book "Becoming Vegan" we explain how to create a balanced and
nutritionally adequate vegan diet. Everyone doesnt automatically know to do this properly, and certainly the authors of this study didnt. Whatever diet people use to raise their children, they typically need to learn a few nutrition pointers and tips about feeding children properly. For vegan diets this is particularly true as most vegans were not raised on this diet. But research has shown that it can be done and result in children of same height and weight statistically as the norms (though there tend to be fewer obese children among the vegan population.) Whatever their dietary
choice, pregnant women and children are more vulnerable than people at other stages of the life cycle because of their fast rate of growth. It makes sense to take extra care in planning a utritionally adequate diet for these stages.
It is not true that animal products contain essential nutrients that are not found anywhere else. Animal products are unique sources of certain substances such as cholesterol. However dietary cholesterol is not essential; we make what we require in our bodies and too much may be a risk factor for disease. Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria and is present in animal products as a result of bacterial contamination. Properly designed vegan diets contain vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Vegans obtain sufficient calcium from fortified soy milk, calcium-set tofu; sesame
seeds, almonds, blackstrap molasses, white or black beans; and greens such as kale; bok choy, Napa cabbage, and broccoli.

Professor Allen's assertion that feeding children a vegan diet was
unethical is unfounded, and reflects the fact that Professor Allen does not know how to create a nutritionally adequate vegan diet. Considering the risk factors related to in a diet high in animal products, it can be viewed as unethical to feed your child a diet high in animal products, and to set your child up for a future that increases his or her risk of various cancers, cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Vesanto Melina, MS, Registered Dietitian Langley, B. C. Canada Phone: [phone] http://www.nutrispeak.com.

[depakid]

1. The Cattleman's Association is corrupt to the core

dishonest and without any integrity whatsoever. It's quite possibly the most destructive lobbying group in America.

[justiceischeap]

2. That and whoever lobbies for McDonald's

I'm still reeling from SuperSize Me...

[SheLiberal]

3. I wish I could say I am shocked

With enough money you can buy any result that you want to produce. These are the same people who went after Oprah for talking about Mad Cow disease. What a world

[depakid]

5. These people have no problem killing your children

No problem whatsoever.

And that's exactly what they do when the constantly oppose rational and scientific meat inspection and processing rules. These people are literally killers- and their methods are so egregious that, frankly, I'm surprised that they haven't been sued via class action. If the Dems under Clinton weren't such utter and complete sell outs, Reno would have gone after many of these folks with criminal charges.

[smurfygirl]

4. I'm vegan and so is my whole family except my dad

It's not like we couldn't eat meat if we wanted too.
My sister has raised two children on a vegan diet, they are not abused at all and if they wanted to eat meat they can.

The cattleman should realize they don't like veggies pushing their beliefs and diets on meat eaters so they shouldn't push theirs on ours. Try going to McDonald's and getting anything for a vegetarian. You can't unless your in New York where they offer a veggie burger.

Thanks for posting this. You might want to also post this in the Vegetarian vegan group thread.

[G_j]

6. some discussion

I was curious about this 'study' and did a very quick search. One of the things I found was an interesting discussion about it here:

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/ncbs_vegan_study.htm

Vesanto Melina RD comments:

I was called by the BBC to respond to the story "Children 'Harmed' By Vegan Diets". I am co-author of "Becoming Vegan", by dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, distributed in the UK by Airlift books; www.airlift.co.uk.

Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service had done a study in which providing animal products such as butter, cheese, milk, and meat improved the health and growth of impoverished and undernourished Kenyan children. Professor Allen failed to recognize that an assortment of plant foods that were nutrient rich and higher in protein and calories would have helped too. The findings from this study are not applicable to vegan children in the developed world.

<snip>
It is not true that animal products contain essential nutrients that are not found anywhere else. Animal products are unique sources of certain substances such as cholesterol. However dietary cholesterol is not essential; we make what we require in our bodies and too much may be a risk factor for disease. Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria and is present in animal products as a result of bacterial contamination. Properly designed vegan diets contain vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Vegans obtain sufficient calcium from fortified soy milk, calcium-set tofu; sesame seeds, almonds, blackstrap molasses, white or black beans; and greens such as kale; bok choy, Napa cabbage, and broccoli.

Professor Allen's assertion that feeding children a vegan diet was unethical is unfounded, and reflects the fact that Professor Allen does not know how to create a nutritionally adequate vegan diet. Considering the risk factors related to in a diet high in animal products, it can be viewed as unethical to feed your child a diet high in animal products, and to set your child up for a future that increases his or her risk of various cancers, cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
<>
---
Brenda Davis RD comments:

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the statement by Lindsay Allen, from the University of California at Davis, "There is absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans.” Dr. Allen contends that vegan diets are nutritionally deficient and will delay or permanently impair development of children. Her allegations are based on a study of 554 school children in Kenya, in which malnourished children fed energy-deficient diets were divided into four groups – one that served as a control, and the other three that had beef, milk or oil added to their diets. Not surprisingly, adding animal foods to their diet improved growth and development of these children. If the researchers really wanted to prove the superiority of animal foods over plant foods, they might have provided the control group with protein-rich plant foods such as tofu or soy burger crumbles. This would seem to me a more ethical choice, considering the fact that these children were suffering from malnutrition. However, doing so would have demonstrated that it is not vegan diets that are inadequate, but rather energy, fat, and protein deficient diets that are inadequate. That would have defeated the purpose of the organization which funded the research, namely the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (US).



The question of adequacy of a vegan diet is one that has been thoroughly addressed in scientific literature. The position of the American Dietetic Association, according to their most current position paper on vegetarian diets, is as follows:


"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." The position paper goes on to add, "Appropriate planned vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets satisfy the nutrient needs of infants, children, and adolescents and promote normal growth."



The American Dietetic Association has long been regarded as a very reliable and conservative professional organization, and their position statements are made with great attention to research. There is solid scientific evidence that vegan diets can be completely adequate when appropriately planned. Two classic studies were done in the late 1980’s – one in Great Britain and the other in the United States. Dr. Tom Sanders carried out the first study in Great Britain in 1988. This study followed 39 vegan children for over 20 years. Dr. Sanders determined that these children grew normally, although they did tend to be slightly lighter than their omnivorous peers. Dr. Connell did the second study in Summertown Tennessee in 1989. This was also a long-term study looking at 404 vegan children. This study found that the vegan children had a slower growth curve than omnivorous children, but that they caught up by the age of 10 years. The vegan children developed completely normally – physically and intellectually. In both cases the authors conclude that provided the vegan diet is appropriately designed, it can meet all of the nutritional requirements of infants and children.

<>

[DenverDem]

7. I Rest My Case

That's always the first question you ask,"Who funded the study?" as I pointed out to much derision:
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1254446#1254459>

Eating meat will kill you.

[porphyrian]

8. I don't have a problem with veganism.

I have a problem with vegan proselytizers who want to blow me shit for eating a burger.

[DenverDem]

10. It's your colon.

Fill it with putrifying animal flesh, if you wish.

That just leaves more tofu for me.

[porphyrian]

11. Yes it is.

And it's the lips of whoever points that out to me while I'm trying to eat that will be broken.

On Edit: And keep your fucking opinion out of my colon.

[DenverDem]

12. If you cut back on the meat you might not have such anger management

issues.

[BBradley]

13. LMAO, If you're not being a humorous then...

I'd like to let you know that this is the kind of bullshit that makes people dislike vegans and vegetarians.

[porphyrian]

15. Yeah, but that's none of your fucking business. - n/t

[Cleita]

9. I think diets high in animal products are bad for kids.

When I was a child, it was popular to eat meat stretching casseroles, because meat was expensive and families were larger then. I think one of the reasons there were very few fat kids back then was because of this. Casseroles used beans, noodles or rice for stretchers. Feeding a family of six with a half a pound of hamburger or a can of tuna was considered an art. Eggs were used sparingly too. Cornflakes and OJ were my usual breakfast and my lunch was a PBJ sandwich and an apple or pear. Once a week, my mother would give me a nickle so I could buy an Eskimo Pie.

Pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs were a special treat and we usually only got them for holidays, birthdays and other special occasions, like ball games. I was not deprived because all my schoolmate ate equally Spartan fare. I know because we used to eat at each others homes regularly, doing homework together and stuff.

[bpilgrim]

14. every-time we smell a RAT we should start blogging...

9/10 our digging will hit pay-dirt on these neoCONs and they've got sooooo many tells they are easy to spot just using commonsense :bounce:

we will kick the neoCONs a$$ 24/7/365 with the power to research and disseminate info in realtime... and we have only just begun ;->

Thank GORE he 'INVENTED' the INTERNET's! :evilgrin:

peace