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PETA Launches Curious Attack on the Overweight

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 17, 2009 3:19 PM CDT

(Newser) – PETA has rolled out a new ad campaign that does not sit well with the more portly among us, the Huffington Post reports. A billboard in Jacksonville, Fla., features a cartoon of an overweight woman in a bikini with the message: “Save the whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian.” One blogger calls the ad “fat-shaming” and says “PETA owes the residents of Jacksonville a serious apology.”

“This is exactly what you would expect,” a blogger fumes. "No empathy for humans whatsoever, just a lot of BS about how vegetarianism will make fat people just a little bit less of a blight on humanity.” PETA is serenely oblivious to any controversy. “Anyone wishing to achieve a hot ‘beach bod’ is reminded that studies show that vegetarians are, on average, about 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters,” it says. “We're not trying to insult anyone,” says a campaigner. “This is a life-saving message.”

The offending billboard.
The offending billboard.   (PETA)
PETA does seem to prefer svelter examples for its street actions.
PETA does seem to prefer svelter examples for its street actions.   (AP Photo)
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Trying to hide your thunder thighs and balloon belly is no day at the beach. PETA has a free “Vegetarian Starter Kit” for people who want to lose pounds while eating as much as they like. - PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 19 comments
Doctor-Zaius
Aug 19, 2009 2:54 AM CDT
It's the high fructose corn syrup. It's totally unnatural and your body doesn't know what to do with it.
Doctor-Zaius
Aug 19, 2009 2:52 AM CDT
One of my best friends is a fat vegetarian.
Doctor-Zaius
Aug 19, 2009 2:51 AM CDT
Here's the little lie in the vegetarian diet. You need omega 3 to be healthy and the main source of it is from meat. Grass fed cattle and free range chickens are high in Omega-3. The reason normal supermarket meat is bad for you is because of the high corn diet that they feed the livestock. Now you can get a decent source of Omega-3 from walnuts, flax seed and leafy greens but that's it.
 

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