Death by hot dog

| 7 December 2021
minute reading time

Simple swaps can benefit your health and the environment

Eating a hot dog could cost you 36 minutes of healthy life, while a serving of nuts could add 26 minutes, according to a University of Michigan study. Researchers looked at nearly 6,000 foods, using a Health Nutritional Index to quantify the health effects in minutes of healthy life gained or lost. They found that even small changes to your diet can have a big effect on both your health and your carbon footprint. Swapping just 10 per cent of your daily intake of beef and processed meat for fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses could gain you 48 minutes per day and reduce your carbon footprint from food by a third.

Stylianou KS, Fulgoni VL and Jolliet O. Small targeted dietary changes can yield substantial gains for human health and the environment. Nature Food. 2, 616-627.

About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
I joined Viva! as a health campaigner in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. My scientific training helped me research and write numerous reports, guides and fact sheets for Viva! including Meat the Truth, Fish-Free for Life, One in Nine (breast cancer and diet) and the substantial report on the detrimental health effects of consuming dairy; White Lies. This accompanied Viva!’s report The Dark Side of Dairy which spelt out the inherent cruelty of dairy farming. We were the first UK group to take on the dairy industry in this way, and many of our supporters go vegan after reading these reports.

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