As a dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I believe consumers have a right to know about the strong connection between diet and health. This is in response to the Nov. 25 Opinion page and its headline, "Thanksgiving: Feast and enjoy."
Our organization -- an independent nonprofit with more than 10,000 physician members -- encourages consumers to load up on healthful vegan dishes during the holiday season because solid science shows that these foods fight disease. This is one reason why vegetarian-friendly Thanksgivings are gaining popularity and why the New York Times, Washington Post and other national newspapers focused on vegetarian Thanksgivings this year.
The evidence is clear.
The American Dietetic Association, the world's largest organization of nutrition professionals, recently released a position statement concluding that well-planned vegetarian diets are healthful and nutritious and have been shown to help prevent and treat America's most common chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. This is information every American should be aware of, during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Susan Levin
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Washington, D.C.
The writer is director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (pcrm.org), a nonprofit based in our nation's capital.
