PeTA goes too far.

I used to have sympathy for PeTA. I started losing it around the same time they started their Sea Kittens Campaign. It's because they've totally lost track of the 'ethical' part of their name. Now they've gone beyond their propensity for misrepresentation by adding an unhealthy dose of offensiveness and prejudice to the mix. Hey, PeTA, humans are animals, too!

This is their new billboard ad campaign which started in Jacksonville FL:

The idea here is to link eating meat with excess weight, which is a pretty iffy proposition according to the research.  Most offensive is the equating of overweight individuals to whales.... obviously PeTA has decided to forgo any accuracy or sensitivity in an effort to shock people into not eating meat.

This from the PeTA media website:

PETA's Provocative New 'Save the Whales' Billboard Highlights the Connection Between Meat and Obesity

For Immediate Release:
August 7, 2009

Contact:
Virginia Fort 757-622-7382

Jacksonville, Fla. -- A new PETA billboard campaign that was just launched in Jacksonville reminds people who are struggling to lose weight -- and who want to have enough energy to chase a beach ball -- that going vegetarian can be an effective way to shed those extra pounds that keep them from looking good in a bikini. The ad shows a woman whose "blubber" is spilling over the sides of her swimsuit bottom and features the tagline "Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian. PETA."

Anyone wishing to achieve a hot "beach bod" is reminded that studies show that vegetarians are, on average, about 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters. The meat habit can ruin the fun in other ways too. Consuming meat and dairy products is conclusively linked to heart disease, diabetes, and several kinds of cancer -- not to mention higher rates of infertility in women and impotence in men. And not only is following a healthy plant-based diet good for the environment, it is also the best thing that anyone can do to help stop the routine abuse of animals raised and killed for food. Animals on factory farms are subjected to mutilations like debeaking, tail-docking, and branding (without any painkillers) and are often slaughtered and dismembered while still conscious.

"Trying to hide your thunder thighs and balloon belly is no day at the beach," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA has a free 'Vegetarian Starter Kit' for people who want to lose pounds while eating as much as they like."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Aside from the offensive nature of the campaign, it's just plain wrong. People can become obese on a vegetarian (or even vegan!) diet as easily as on a meat heavy diet. In the case of those who eat a lot of meat, fat is an issue, with vegetarians, the problem can be fat and carbs, and vegans still have to be sensible about carbs.

The problem is no matter what diet you adhere to or for what reasons, sensible and balanced diets are best for weight control and optimal health.

PeTA doesn't get that. They're going to have to reconsider that e in their name if they're going to continue with this kind of dishonesty.


Hat tip to Annabel who mentioned the story in her Noteworthy News/Blog Posts today.

More PeTA vegetarian ads:

Then there are the famous impotency threats: