What was your favorite food in 1988? You don't need a Delorean, plutonium, or 1.21 "jigga"-watts to travel to a time when America first started ignoring the truth about diet. For almost 35 years now, Americans have failed to heed the 1988 Surgeon General Report's warning — today, we continue to pay the price of poor health.
Nutrition and Dietary Truth
The 1988 report to the American people was a big deal! At that time, it was only the third report of its kind; the first two were published way back in 1964 and in 1986, both of which focused on the effects of smoking. But this one was all about nutrition. Here's some of what it said...
Foods contain nutrients essential for normal metabolic function, and when problems arise, they result from imbalance in nutrient intake or from harmful interaction with other factors... This report reviews the scientific evidence that relates dietary excesses and imbalances to chronic diseases... Diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes remain leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Substantial scientific research over the past few decades indicates that diet can play an important role in prevention of such conditions... For two out of three adult Americans who do not smoke and do not drink excessively, one personal choice seems to influence long-term health prospects more than any other: What we eat... It is now (1988) clear that diet contributes in substantial ways to the development of these diseases and that modification of diet can contribute to their prevention.
So, according to the Surgeon General, you have the ability to change the space-time continuum! By going back to the Surgeon General's report of 1988, you can change your present and future by changing what you eat.
How Can I Change to a Healthy Lifestyle?
If you want specific steps for success, recipes, guides, and supplements to help you maintain your best health yet, you're in the right place. Use our Get Started Kit to follow a systematic approach with superior, plant-based nutrition.
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More about Reports of the Surgeon General
The National Library of Medicine digitized the Reports of the Surgeon General. a full collection of documents and visuals are available online. Learn more about this collection.
