Atlas Genius Gets Candid About Going Vegetarian In New PETA2 Video

Australian Alt-Rockers Cite Horrific Factory Farms and Health Reasons for Making the Switch

For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2014

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Brothers Keith and Michael Jeffery of Atlas Genius are kicking off the new year with an exclusive new interview with peta2, PETA’s youth division, in which the Aussie heartthrobs reveal what made them stop eating meat and how much better they feel after going vegetarian.

In the new video, available here, Michael explains, “First, we became vegetarian for health reasons. Then you realize … the link between [eating meat and] cancer and heart disease just keeps going up. It’s bad for us to be consuming these products, and it’s bad for [animals] ’cause they get treated so poorly.”

Each vegetarian saves more than 100 animals a year from immense suffering on factory farms, in slaughterhouses, and on the decks of fishing boats, and the guys feel great knowing that they’re improving their health at the same time. “There’s so much evidence that being a vegetarian is so much more healthy for you,” Keith says. “[P]eople would rather just take a pill or just go and see a doctor rather than look at the problem. … [A]lmost all of the diseases that humans are suffering from … are coming about because of processed meat.”

The Jefferys have got that right. On average, vegetarians are less prone to developing heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes than meat-eaters are—and as Michael says, the meals are delicious, too: “I’ve had some of the best meals since I’ve been vegetarian, like, the most tasty food.”

Atlas Genius is part of a long list of musicians, artists, and other celebrities—including Davey Havok, Rise Against, Serj Tankian, Dave Navarro, Tonight Alive, and tattoo artist Megan Massacre—who have teamed up with peta2 to promote animal protection.

For more information, please visit peta2.com.