Scientists Say New Diet May Save Planet

Scientists Say New Diet May Save Planet

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle report.

Scientists in London say they have found the best diet for both humans and the planet.

If the world followed the so-called “planetary health” diet, the scientists told Reuters that each year more than 11 million early deaths could be prevented.

For the health of the planet, they claim the same diet would reduce greenhouse gases and save more land, water and animals.

This new food plan is the result of a three-year project organized by The Lancet health journal. It involved 37 experts from 16 countries.

Tim Lang, a professor at Britain’s University of London, co-led the research. He told Reuters, “The food we eat and how we produce it determines the health of people and the planet, and we are currently getting this seriously wrong.”

Lang added that the world’s population is expected to grow to 10 billion people by 2050. If we want to feed everyone, he explained, we all need to change what we eat and the way we eat by “improving food production and reducing food waste.”

So, what do you eat on the planetary health diet?

The scientists who created this diet say it is largely plant-based but still has small amounts of dairy, fish and meat. The diet calls for cutting red meat and sugar by 50 percent and doubling the amount of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Food situations around the world are not equal. In certain areas, this would mean great changes. People in North America, for example, eat 6.5 times the recommended amount of red meat. On the other hand, people in South Asia eat only half the amount suggested by the new planetary health diet.

Meeting the targets for vegetables would need big changes in other areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, people on average eat 7.5 times the suggested amount of vegetables like potatoes and cassava.

Walter Willet of Harvard University in the United States also talked to Reuters about the planetary health diet. He said that more than 800 million people around the world do not get enough food while many more have very unhealthy diets.

The scientists admit their goal will be difficult to achieve. But for them doing nothing is also not an option. Willet said, “If we can’t quite make it, it’s better to try and get as close as we can.”

And that's the Health and Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.

Mariana Bazo of Reuters reported this story. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

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Words in This Story

diet – n. the food and drink that a person or animal usually takes

greenhouse gas – n. any of various gaseous compounds (such as carbon dioxide or methane) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhouse effect

journal – n. a periodical dealing especially with matters of current interest

legume – n. any of a large group of plants (as peas, beans, and clover) with fruits that are pods which split into two parts and root nodules containing bacteria that fix nitrogen

cassava – n. a tropical plant with thick roots that are used to make small white grains (called tapioca) that are used in cooking