Bill Clinton

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.

Newsletter Signup

Our newsletter is sent out irregularly and infrequently, because we only want to hit your inbox when we’ve got something compelling to share.