FamousVeggie.com's Celebrity Interview with
Dr.John McDougall.

1. Hello. Thank you for doing this interview with us today. First I'd like to give you a chance to introduce yourself to everyone.

I am a medical doctor and a board certified internist who has been interested in diet and the prevention and treatment of diseases for the past 30 years.

2.Why do you think more people are becoming obese now than ever before ?

All you have to do is drive by a fast food stand to get fat and sugar -- no one cooks and no one exercises. People have plenty of money to eat like kings and queens and that's what they look like.

3.What does the McDougall program suggest we do to lose weight and live well?

Eat like thin people around the world eat -- starches (like rice for Asians vegetables and fruits and exercise.

4.What are your feelings on the dangers of a high protein diet?

High protein diets make you sick in the long and short term. Expect kidney disease, heart disease and more strokes and cancer. Plus the weight loss is temporary because you can't stay sick for long. Look at the creators of these diets -- many are fat themselves.

5. You have many wonderful books out. If someone was new to the McDougall Plan and wanted to try it. Which book would you recommend they read first?

I'd start with the McDougall Program -- 12 Days to Dynamic Health. But the most cost effective thing they can do is to buy the new 6 tape vide series --Dr. McDougall's Total Health Solution for the 21st Century.

6.You co-founded Dr. McDougall's Right Food's Inc. Care to tell us more about some of your products?

The meals are in a cup and you just add hot water. They are low fat and vegetarian and delicious. They are found in 6000 stores nationwide and can be ordered by phone and e-mail. See my web site at Dr.McDougall.com

7.You participated in The Great Nutrition Debate awhile back. How was that?

I had fun. Promoters of high protein diets fail to have the science behind their theories and as I mentioned many are themselves over weight.

8. How long have you been a been a vegetarian?

My diet has been 99.9% vegetarian for the past 28 years.

9. When did you first notice a link between health/weightloss and a vegetarian diet?

In 1975 when I was a doctor working on a sugar plantation in Hawaii and I saw my Filipino, Chinese, Japanese and Korean patients living mostly on rice and vegetables were trim and healthy. Their offspring learned the American diet and became fat and sick.

10.Are you a supporter of Animal Rights? Or is your stance for vegetarianism purely from a medical standpoint.

I support animal rights some, but it is mostly medical. I'm most concerned about the human animal.

11.You have a wonderful trip planned coming up in a few months called Alaska Trip 2002. It sounds amazing. Give us more details

The food is all delicious, low-fat, pure vegetarian. Mary and John McDougall provide education on healthy eating. This is one vacation you are almost certain to come back from thinner (if you need to lose) and in better health. See my web site Dr.McDougall.com for more details. We are also going to Guatemala in March.

12. It is a brand new year. What do you have planned for the year 2002?

More lectures and appearance. I keep my clinic at St. Helena hospital active with patients wanting to get their health and appearance back. I hope to be able to sell my program to industry and insurance companies this year.

13.Why do you think it is so hard for some people to follow your diet and a vegetarian/healthy diet in general? But then people seem willing to buy into everything else on the market (examples: pills,shakes,machines,high protein diets).

Better educated people with high levels of self worth are my most likely candidates. Eventually after all else is tried many people do make the right change.