999 Emergency In London's Unhealthiest Borough

The Meat Free Day in Croydon Campaign

09/09/09 = 999 = Emergency! A great day to launch a campaign to save the health of London's unhealthiest borough, Croydon!

999

The 9th September 2009 (999) seemed the perfect date to launch a campaign by a consortium of different groups and companies to tackle Croydon’s emergency health situation.

Croydon’s Health Problems

Croydon’s dire health situation mirrors the plight of the planet. If something isn’t done soon the future looks bleak. Rising childhood obesity in Croydon is now approaching the thousands and Croydon topped recent league tables winning the title ‘Unhealthiest borough in London’

Meat Free Monday Solution

London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says one solution is to promote having a meat less day once a week, a Meat Free Monday as Vegetarian Paul McCartney and celebrity pals urged, or a Flesh Free Friday as the church used to advocate. “It’s not more meat that we need to improve Croydon’s health, it’s more fruit and vegetables that we need in our diets. Very few people in the UK manage to reach the NHS target of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day and the actual optimal target is even higher (5 portions of veg and 3 of fruit)” says the nutritionist.

Health & Sustainability Campaign Coalition to Target Croydon

Having won the title of unhealthiest borough in London Croydon is now a prime target for a number of different environmental, health and animal welfare organisations.

* Croydon Friends of the Earth plan to launch a Food Chain Campaign about animal feed
* Animal Aid have launched www.meat-free-monday.com
* The Vegetarian Society are launching a healthy eating project
* The Vegan Society has launched two catering guides one for restaurants and one for hospitals and care homes. They also have a CD Rom for schools.
* Foods for Life Nutrition and Health Consultancy in Croydon is targeting parent groups, offices and restaurants with their CHOP Healthy Business Awards
* Passion for the Planet Digital Radio Station is launching a ‘Munch Less Meat’ campaign
* Viva! have launched Fruity Fundays – Choose Your Veggie Days

Croydon based Young Indian Vegetarians, SEAR, Yaoh, Croydon Vegetarians, Oasis Natural Health, Foods for Life, Off the Hoof magazine, Veggievision , Plamil, Redwoods, Beanies and Lush are all working on a health and sustainability family fun day at Fairfield Halls on November 1st that will encourage people to eat less meat.

See www.croydon.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk and www.meatfreecroydon.blogspot.com for more information.

Meatless Monday : Meat Free Monday Goes Global

Meatless Monday : One day a week cut out meat

Meat Free Monday - Meat Out Day - Meatless Monday and the concept of giving up meat for at least one day a week is going global.

Meatless Mondays allegedly originated during World War I when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged families to avoid eating meat on Mondays to conserve food for the troops and feed starving populations in Europe. There was also a project called “Wheatless Wednesdays.” The program came back into play at the beginning of World War II because meat was being rationed, and it became a way for women at home to support the war effort.

Currently, “Meatless Mondays” has reemerged as an international public health campaign in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University,FARM, PeTA, Paul McCartney, the UN, The Vegetarian Society and many others to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

in New York

Meat Free Day Australia

Meatless Monday Video

Meat Free Mondays



Meat Out Mondays *
Journee Sans Viande * Meat Out * Meat Free Day Canada

Meat Free Monday in the Telegraph

UN Meat Free Day Advocate wins Nobel Prize.

Hindhus support Meat Free Mondays
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in 'Nevada (USA) Today', said that besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it was good for ethical and health reasons also.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that Hinduism promoted strict vegetarianism insisting on ahimsa (not harming living creatures) and non-killing, and renouncing animal slaughter and meat eating. It suggested taking of sattvik (vegetables, fruits, etc.) and avoiding rajasik (eggs, etc.) and tamasik (meat, intoxicants, etc.) foods.

Rajan Zed argued that there was extensive protection of life in Hinduism and ahimsa was a command. All the major religions of the world were opposed to killing, he added.

Zed further said that as eating less meat would help the environment, more celebrities should come out in support of at least staying away from meat once a week, thus contributing to a healthier world.

Meat Free Monday - Launch

Meat Free Mondays Support Meat Free Monday – Eat less meat for a better planet Actually it's more of a relaunch as Sir Paul McCartney has been suggesting that Meat Free Monday was a good idea since he read the UN report Livestock's Long Shadow.

As people are struggling to work it out for themselves he's clearly decided it would take a little more effort. Today 15th June Meat Free Mondays launches with a big article in the independent and a new website.

The Independent reveals - 'The McCartneys have attracted support from across the worlds of showbusiness, science, business and the environment. The singer Chris Martin, Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Woody Harrelson, actress Joanna Lumley and Sir Richard Branson are advocating meat-free Mondays.

Support has also come from comedians Ricky Gervais, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, the poet Benjamin Zephaniah and Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman.

Another supporter, Sir David King, the Government's former chief scientist, said: "The carbon and water footprints associated with producing beef are about 20 times larger than maize production. Eating less meat will help the environment."'

Paul McCartney and his team have suceeded where the rest of us have failed and pulled in over 40 celebrities for a lunchtime media event at Inn the Park in St James's Park today

Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says "It will be interesting to watch the UK get healthier as a result of eating less meat as well as the planet"

More Meat Free Monday News

Channel 4 News * Sky News * Daily Mail * The Guardian * The Mirror * The Telegraph * The Sun * The Scotsman

Meat Free Monday supporters celebrity quotes in The Independent

See also Meatless Monday