Cloris Leachman Says, ‘Let Vegetarianism Grow on You’
Cloris Leachman is a remarkable human being. Not only has this talented actor won eight primetime Emmy Awards (more than any other female performer), a Daytime Emmy, and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, she has also appeared in three Mel Brooks films, including Young Frankenstein, which may just qualify her as a comedic genius.
What do you do as an encore to an acting career like that? You hit the road with your one-woman show, write your soon-to-be-released autobiography, and then, at 82 years of age, you trip the light fantastic on the wildly popular Dancing With the Stars, where competitors half your age fall by the wayside. How does she do it? Easy: She chooses to eat vegetarian. Now Cloris is sharing the secret behind her vitality with her fans by posing in a dress made of cabbage for PETA’s newest “Let Vegetarianism Grow on You” ad.
Cloris knows that choosing a plant-based diet is the best thing that you can do for your health, because meat-eaters are 50 percent more likely to develop heart disease than vegetarians, and vegetarians have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters. That’s not all. Studies have shown that vegetarians have stronger immune systems, making them less susceptible to everyday illnesses like the flu. Still not convinced? Vegetarians and vegans live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat eaters do—active, exciting, busy years, if Cloris is any indication!
Take a minute to watch Cloris behind-the-scenes at the photo shoot. She sang and joked her way through the entire day, taking just a few moments to get serious with the story behind her choice to give up meat more than 40 years ago. Cloris wants you to know that it’s easy to choose vegan alternatives. “Start learning about it. It doesn’t have to be all of a sudden or a great huge education, but it’s sort of a little journey that you make all your life.” This is a journey that will lead you in one direction: to better health, a cleaner environment, and happier animals everywhere.
