SEN. GABBARD TO HONOR NATIONALLY RENOWNED PHYSICIAN AND NUTRITION EXPERT DR. JOHN McDOUGALL AT VEGETARIAN SOCIETY EVENT

Honolulu – November 12, 2012 – Senator Mike Gabbard (West Oahu), Chair of the Senate's Energy and Environment Committee, will honor nationally renowned physician and health expert, Dr. John McDougall, at the Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse (404 Kapahulu Avenue) on November 13th at 7pm. Dr. McDougall is in town to make a presentation sponsored by the Vegetarian Society of Hawai‘i called "The Diet Wars: The Time for Unification is Now."

Gabbard said, "Dr. McDougall is doing great work by helping thousands of people across the country improve their health through a vegetarian diet. He deserves this recognition for giving people the tools and knowledge they need to heal both our environment and themselves."

Dr. McDougall has been studying, writing and speaking out about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 30 years. He is a veteran of the natural wellness movement and a best-selling author who has helped thousands improve their quality of life by helping them switch to a low-fat vegetarian diet primarily consisting of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

When he was 18 years old, Dr. McDougall suffered a massive stroke which he attributed to his standard American diet high in animal protein and fat. In the mid 1970s, while practicing medicine in Hawaiʻi, he noticed that his elderly Asian patients, who lived mainly on rice and vegetables, were trim and healthy compared to their offspring who adopted the American diet. In response, Dr. McDougall switched to a traditional Asian, heart-healthy diet for himself and became his own positive testimonial after shedding many unwanted pounds of harmful fat.

Dr. McDougall is currently the Medical Director of the McDougall Program, a highly successful residential program of over twenty years located in Santa Rosa, California.

For more information, contact Vegetarian Society President Lorraine Sakaguchi at 255-4117.