After a long struggle with heart disease, and enduring multiple surgeries including a quadruple bypass, former U.S. president Bill Clinton decided to swap his Big Macs for big salads and embrace a vegan diet. In an AARP interview he said, “I wanted to live to be a grandfather. So I decided to pick the diet that I thought would maximize my chances of long-term survival.”
After going vegan, Clinton lost thirty pounds and his health improved dramatically. With guidance from top doctors including Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn, Clinton attained a trim physique, increased his levels of fitness, and felt his energy return.
Clinton first moved toward a vegan diet in 2010, and today he could be called a “chegan”—a cheating vegan. Although he now eats fish and eggs on occasion, he follows a primarily vegan diet and publicly promotes veganism. By going public with his embrace of a plant-strong diet, there is no doubt that Bill Clinton has helped shift public consciousness toward healthier and more humane eating habits.
