Recently, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a legal Petition for Rulemaking with the US Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, demanding the immediate closure of all wet markets nationwide. In addition to the non-profit’s 12,000 doctor members, the petition was signed by numerous physicians, including Eric J. Brandt, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine, and Michelle L. O’Donoghue, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medical School.
PCRM Recommends That Indians Adopt Plant-Based Diets to Address Growing Obesity Crisis
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has recommended that Indians adopt a plant-based diet to combat the country’s obesity crisis. Figures from India’s National Health Family Survey indicate that obesity prevalence has reached 23% in men and 24% in women, while waist-to-hip ratio data shows that 48% of men and 57% of women are at “substantial increased risk of metabolic complication”. This has been blamed on the increasing availability, affordability, and shelf life of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. The PCRM explains that the westernization of Indian diets, along with increased preferences for less healthy Indian foods such as deep-fried products and dishes made with ghee, has contributed to rising obesity rates. The organization advocates managing obesity by centering diets on minimally …
