My god there is a lot of ignorance being displayed in this thread. Some of you people really should stick with your paradigmatic mathematics, and stay quiet about everything else.
I thought this forum is supposed to be a science-based forum with facts, not hearsay, being the order of the day?
The thread starter should be ashamed for selecting such an odious thread title. To generalize, use derogatory slurs, pigeonhole, falsely categorize, and play on preconceived notions, is nothing less than obscurantist, offensive, unscientific, puerile, ignorant, and pathetic.
I do not know the details about this Atlanta case, but I will tell you this, it is not due to veganism. It is due to poor diet / nutritional negligence.
The plant-based diet is the natural diet for humans. Humans are anatomically and physiologically herbivorous:
http://www.Earth'save.ca/articles/health/comparative.html
If you want to see the science on this then I recommend you get hold of a copy of this book:
http://www.vegansociety.com/catalog...w.amazon.com/dp/0907337279/?tag=pfamazon01-20
http://www.vegansociety.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=153
The findings of that book clearly state the optimum diet to be plant based and completely devoid of fauna derivatives. Conduct your own research, it is very simply done. Just go to your local hospital and quiz the coronary, osteoporosis, and cancer patients (amongst others) on their life choices concerning diet.
I could type here for days on end about this topic, but I would urge anyone receptive enough to learn to go look at the studies for themselves. Not a single nutrient is unavailable to the vegan.
The list of champion athletes who chose the vegan diet is a very long one indeed. Have you heard of Carl Lewis, per chance?
Vegan bodybuilder Kenneth Williams:
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/45/kwilliams2gc2.jpg
His website:
http://veganmusclepower.org/
Champion Iron Man, Brendon Brazier:
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/images/sidepic_bio.png
His website:
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/
Take a look at some healthy vegan families with children raised on the vegan diet since before they were even born:
http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/
http://www.vegfamily.com/
http://www.thegardendiet.com/
In a world dominated by industries that are based on systematic exploitation of animals, it can be very hard for a neophyte to correctly embrace veganism. After all, the majority of new vegan converts become vegan purely for ethical reasons (the killing and cruelty disturbs them, as it should anybody), and these people often know very little of nutrition, just as most people know very little on the topic of nutrition. If a person ignorant on matters of nutrition suddenly gives up certain nutrient sources, then these sources must be replaced. A person lacking sound knowledge on nutrition is in danger of becoming malnourished. It is as simple as that.
The vast majority of malnutrition cases are with non-vegans, i.e. meat eaters. And I mean pro rata in comparison. Most B12 deficiencies are with meat eaters, due in part to digestive atrophy.
I am a life-long vegetarian and vegan of 14 years. By the logic of many here, should I not be dead or seriously ill? And how was it that the founder of the Vegan Society and originator of the very word ‘vegan’ lived until he was 95-years old? Not only did he live so long following 60-years as a vegan (80-years as a vegetarian), but he rejected prescription drugs on ethical grounds and maintained his interest in hill walking well into his later years.
Donald Watson:
As Prof. Gary Francione wrote: “We cannot justify our domination of animals except by appeal to religious superstition.”
His website:
http://animal-law.org/
An essay he wrote for New Scientist:
http://www.animal-law.org/newscientist.pdf
I wonder how many have considered the environmental consequences of meat production? How many are aware that ~90% of the worlds entire crop of soy and grain is fed to farm animals? And that it requires around 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of meat from a cow? I consider that criminal waste. Just think how much land would be freed, how many starving people fed, how much water saved, and how much more efficient (not to mention healthy) food production would be if the primitive, unenlightened, and barbaric meat and milk industries were to end and all embraced a natural plant based diet. It is a no-brainer.
More alarming facts here:
http://boston.Earth'save.org/realities.htm
I am going to conclude this post with a quote by the scholar Michael Tsarion. I think it very apt:
"Men are morally dead, and the stench of morally dead people, walking around performing as if they were alive, contaminates the world. Most people are graveyards. They consume dead animals making their stomachs into graveyards every day, and their blood stream into sewers. Their minds are numb with repressed content and their hearts sodden with immoral acts."
-- Michael Tsarion.