Written by PETA
With so many "miracle" weight-loss plans out there and everyone sipping diet drinks, why are there so many overweight people in America? After all, losing weight really isn't that difficult. If you want to slim down—and save animals—try going vegan: The results can be astonishing. Most plant-based foods are naturally low in fat and calories and high in fiber. They raise your metabolism and are more filling, so they cause you to crave fewer calories. And research shows that vegans are at least nine times less likely to be chunky than meat-eaters are! If you're trying to slim down, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine suggests a three-week vegan eating plan that's low in fat but will still fill you up.
We recently graded the most popular diet programs in America on how vegan-friendly they were. Continue reading to see how they measured up.
We can only hope so—and we mean that in the nicest possible way!
When PETA learned that Springfield, Oregon, comedian Aaron Jamison, who has terminal cancer, is selling ad space on his urns to offset his bills, we were dying to help. Aaron must be a great guy because he took us up on our offer to place this anti-KFC ad on one of the urns:
You don't have to kick the bucket to stick up for abused chickens—just boycott KFC's greasy grub and tell everyone at work and in your neighborhood to do the same. Now's a perfect time, too, because KFC is hoping to make a killing over the next month by selling pink buckets of chicken as a really sick sales gimmick. KFC can't pretend not to see the irony in trying to associate itself with breast cancer research. Let's just say that fried and fatty foods + obesity = increased cancer risk.
And when we found out that dog breeding is one of Aaron's pet peeves, we bought this ad too:
How about you? Want to go out in style?
Written by Paula Moore
We have met the enemy and the enemy is … E.T.? At least, that's what astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says. He warns that extraterrestrials could be like … well, like humans, who never seem to have met an "alien" life form that they didn't want to capture, enslave, experiment on, or even eat alive.
Inspired by Hawking's warning, we're running this ad in Roswell, New Mexico—the location of the alleged and legendary ("allegendary"?) alien crash-landing and the setting of numerous X-Files episodes—as a reminder that being abducted by "superior beings" for experiments is real for animals in laboratories.
NASA space capsules reportedly read, "We Come in Peace," on the side, but as PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk has pointed out, judging by the way we treat the other beings with whom we share this planet, they should continue, "Unless You're Less Powerful Than We Are, in Which Case You're Lunch!" Here's hoping that E.T. does as Earthlings say, not as we do, and that we'll soon see the error of our ways.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Regular readers already know that we at the PETA Files think that pigs are appealing even when they're squealing. But it's thanks to the work of professor Stanley Curtis, who passed away on Sunday, that we know that no matter how beguiling pigs may be, you shouldn't let them hustle you into playing Super Street Fighter IV with them. During his time at the University of Illinois, professor Curtis discovered that pigs can play and excel at joystick-controlled video games.
He observed that "there is much more going on in terms of thinking and observing by these pigs than we would ever have guessed." Pigs did better at video games than some primates (and, yes, based on my gaming scores, I fall into that group).
So cook up some "fakin' bacon" in professor Curtis' memory and then see how far you can get in the New Super Chick Sisters game without help from our porcine pals!
Written by Jeff Mackey
There's a lot of buzz about two new studies that reveal that chimpanzees mourn the deaths of loved ones pretty much as humans do. Scientists in Scotland found chimpanzees tending to an ailing elder during her final days—and after she died, her daughter spent the night next to her body. In the days that followed, the mood was somber among the deceased chimpanzee's friends and family. In the second study, scientists in Guinea observed two mothers who couldn't bear to part with their dead babies.
The buzz from the chimpanzee studies is getting a boost from a viral video in which a squirrel defends his deceased friend's body against a group of crows. Both news items have people describing how they've witnessed animals in mourning, and they have made people realize that humans aren't the only animals who grieve following the loss of a loved one. Of course, this behavior isn't limited to squirrels and chimpanzees. Elephants have been known to hold vigils over their stillborn children. And cows on dairy farms and their calves cry out for days when they are separated.
One of my most indelible childhood memories is of watching our sweet mutt, Ching, as he uncharacteristically snarled and snapped at anyone who tried to come near the lifeless body of his constant companion, Jessa. He stayed with her for hours. What about you? Have you ever seen an animal grieve the loss of a friend or family member?
Written by Karin Bennett
Today, the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife is holding a hearing to discuss the "educational value" of marine amusement parks and the recent death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was dragged under water and battered to death by Tilly, a 12,000-pound captive orca.
PETA submitted testimony calling on federal authorities to prohibit the confinement of orcas (killer whales) at SeaWorld and other marine-mammal parks.
In a spin that would make Dick Cheney proud, SeaWorld execs explained that Dawn's killing (in which her scalp was removed, her arm was disconnected from her body, and her spine, ribs, and face were broken) was "play" gone awry. SeaWorld waited a mere three days before resuming its pricey orca shows, the newest of which is called "Believe," which includes "elaborate set pieces, state-of-the-art multimedia, music, and choreography." Sounds real "educational," doesn't it?
SeaWorld and other greedy for-profit parks leave visitors thinking that orcas are little more than wind-up toys, all called Shamu, when they are in fact highly intelligent predators who, in the wild, would swim up to 100 miles every day and who think, plan, and communicate … and hunt. Dawn was Tilly's third human victim. If Congress doesn't act, who will be number four? Everyone can help by spreading the word to stay away from SeaWorld and other marine theme parks when hitting the road this summer.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
Dogs in Massachusetts are woofing it up and cats are purring with delight after Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed into law a bill making it illegal to cut dogs' or cats' vocal cords to keep them quiet. This means that no more animals in the Bay State will be subjected to cruel, unnecessary "devocalization" surgeries—which are extremely painful and can result in difficulty breathing, chronic gagging, and hemorrhaging—just for someone's convenience.
We can yak all day and no one tells us to "hush," but all too often a dog opens his or her mouth and is met with a harsh "Be quiet!" Let's hope that this law inspires dog guardians to prevent excessive barking the kind way: by taking their pups for lots of long walks, keeping them indoors, and treating them like members of the family. One surefire way to make your dog feel included—celebrate your canine every day with tips from Let's Have a Dog Party!
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Ronald's busy peddling dead, dismembered chickens to children, so McDonald's hired Rick Wion to promote its cruel products on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. So let's welcome Rick to our big, happy online family and politely let him know why we're not eating at McDonald's.
PETA has more than 60,000 followers on Twitter, so this is a great opportunity for us all to band together and encourage McDonald's new director of social media to do what he can to help chickens from the inside by signing our Twitition.
If you haven't already, "like" PETA on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay in the know about ways you can help chickens and other animals!
Written by Heather Moore
I can't get enough of sizzling-hot Pamela Anderson on Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) (did you see that split?!), and her run has surely inspired many people to speak up for animals. Who knows—maybe if José Tomas had watched Pamela's anti-bullfighting paso doble, he'd have thought twice before getting into the bullring with the animal who gored him in the groin this weekend.
Pamela needs your votes to stay in the competition! Polls open at 8 p.m. EDT tonight, and the phone and text lines stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting remains open until 11 a.m. EDT tomorrow. It only takes a few minutes to help vote this compassionate activist for animals to the top! Call 1-800-868-3411; text the word "vote" to 3411 if you're an AT&T mobile customer; or go online and vote for Pam seven times.
I was taught that babies came from a cabbage patch, but I just found out that some babies come from a hamburger patch. According to a recent article, a beef-eating British baby momma gave birth to a nearly 14-pound boy! She's admitted that she gorged on a boatload of beef throughout her pregnancy, and when she gave birth by Caesarean, it took three people to lift baby Harry out (see, it really does take a village to raise a child). Joked one medical staffer who helped in the delivery, "Have you got a school uniform ready?"
For the love of healthy babies, let's just hope that Harry isn't raised on cow's milk and meat, which are laced with growth hormones. Here are some parting words of advice for the new mom:
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!