Scottish Doctors Tell NHS Serving Meat In Hospitals Is Like Distributing Cigarettes

5th May 2022

On the heels of an ongoing health crisis and a steady rise in non-communicable diseases, a group of doctors from Scotland has urged the NHS to have a relook at the nutritional policies of meals being served in hospitals.

THE HEALTH CRISIS

Numerous studies have shown that a diet heavy in meat, eggs and dairy is behind the rising rates of obesity, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Heart Disease has been the leading cause of death for over 20 years.

Heart Disease is preventable, can be better managed and even possibly reversed with changes in lifestyle.

THE LETTER

The group of doctors which included GPs, nutritionists and plant-based health professionals sent an open letter to the NHS via The Times to highlight the issue of hospital meals.

The letter said, “replacing meat, eggs, and dairy with vibrant vegan foods is vital if we are to protect the health of Scottish people and the planet.

It is a dereliction of duty that meals offered in hospitals are often far from healthy and can even include red and processed meats, which are known to be carcinogenic.”

The letter further stated that the NHS could save £30 billion a year if all meals served at hospitals were vegan.

The doctors also mentioned that a vegan diet is more climate positive as animal agriculture is directly related to deforestation and emissions of 18% of greenhouse gases.

The doctors said that switching animal-based meals in hospitals to vegan meals, “would help NHS Scotland improve patient recovery, reduce costs, prevent animal suffering, and meet its commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions.”

Immediately after the letter was released, there was pushback received calling the demand to make the meals plant-based “woke”, “deeply irresponsible” and “hysterical”.

Some even called the letter a disingenuous effort to push for a diet that could have equally unhealthy cooking practices.

But there is already a change in progress and a hospital in Lebanon is leading the way.

THE WORLD’S FIRST VEGAN HOSPITAL

The Hayek Hospital in Lebanon is the first hospital in the world to serve only vegan food. In 2021 after slowly easing into the transition, the hospital announced that “our patients will no longer wake up from surgery to be greeted with ham, cheese, milk, and eggs—the very foods that may have contributed to their health problems in the first place”.

While Hayek hospital was the first to have a completely plant-based menu for its patients, some other hospitals in the US have been required to offer plant-based options to their patients.

In Scotland too, the government has required that hospitals must make arrangements for patients that follow vegetarian and vegan diets, along with one meat-free option at every meal.

This is a testament to the growth in popularity and acceptance that a plant-forward diet is ultimately healthier for us and for the planet.

Like this? Read: I Quit Milk And Regained My Health

Read More: Man Cures Life-Threatening Heart Disease On A Plant-Based Diet