Slimming the Gecko

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A workplace dietary intervention study at GEICO corporate headquarters demonstrates the power of plant-based eating.

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As I progressed through medical training, I could see the ground was definitely shifting. The conversation moved from treating and reversing individual cases of heart disease, to an overdue requiem for palliative cardiology altogether the year I graduated from medical school. In other words, resolving the whole coronary artery disease epidemic altogether, through plant-based nutrition. So, what’s the latest?

Ornish’s first major study, more than twenty years ago, only included 28 patients on his plant-based diet. Twenty-eight patients that would go on to change medicine as we know it forever, but 28 patients nonetheless. Since then, he’s published studies involving the reversal of heart disease in thousands of patients, proving that it can not only work in hippie California, but in Nebraska as well.

Now Ornish is not just diet; it’s a combo of a low-fat, whole foods, plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, and soy; along with moderate exercise—walking a few hours a week—in addition to stress management.

Now, other studies have focused exclusively on diet. For example, Neal Barnard’s team recently published the first workplace intervention study: Geico corporate headquarters. A couple months of just educating employees about the wonders of a plant-based diet, along with a few healthier options in the cafeteria, without changes in exercise, compared to a control work site where employees were kept in the dark. And within a few months, with their newly acquired knowledge-is-power, the pounds and inches came off.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

As I progressed through medical training, I could see the ground was definitely shifting. The conversation moved from treating and reversing individual cases of heart disease, to an overdue requiem for palliative cardiology altogether the year I graduated from medical school. In other words, resolving the whole coronary artery disease epidemic altogether, through plant-based nutrition. So, what’s the latest?

Ornish’s first major study, more than twenty years ago, only included 28 patients on his plant-based diet. Twenty-eight patients that would go on to change medicine as we know it forever, but 28 patients nonetheless. Since then, he’s published studies involving the reversal of heart disease in thousands of patients, proving that it can not only work in hippie California, but in Nebraska as well.

Now Ornish is not just diet; it’s a combo of a low-fat, whole foods, plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, and soy; along with moderate exercise—walking a few hours a week—in addition to stress management.

Now, other studies have focused exclusively on diet. For example, Neal Barnard’s team recently published the first workplace intervention study: Geico corporate headquarters. A couple months of just educating employees about the wonders of a plant-based diet, along with a few healthier options in the cafeteria, without changes in exercise, compared to a control work site where employees were kept in the dark. And within a few months, with their newly acquired knowledge-is-power, the pounds and inches came off.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Doctor's Note

I’ve previously mentioned Dr. Barnard’s work with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Physician-Assisted Suicide? When Doctors Give Nutrition Advice; Dietary Guideline Graphics: From the Food Pyramid to My Plate, Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate, and PCRM’s Power Plate; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board accused of making illegally deceptive claims; Paula Deen: Diabetes Drug Spokesperson; Atkins Diet: Trouble Keeping It Up; and How To Treat Diabetes. That paper about resolving the heart disease epidemic for good was written by another of my heroes, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who I’ve mentioned in China Study on Sudden Cardiac Death and The Tomato Effect. In addition, I have dozens of videos and blog posts profiling Dr. Dean Ornish’s work—which was instrumental in changing my own diet 22 years ago. Next, I’ll start the Pritikin IGF-1 saga featured in Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death—I can’t wait!

For further context, be sure to check out my associated blog posts: Plant-Based Workplace Intervention and Diet and Cellulite.

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