The future of nutrition – How to eat today to change tomorrow | Lia Marlen Schmökel | TEDxFS

Summary

Nutrition scientist Lea shares her journey from a childhood realization about the impact of eating meat to her research on health, longevity, and the environment. She highlights that nutrition is the leading factor in preventing chronic diseases and introduces Blue Zones, where plant-based diets correlate with longer, healthier lives. Lea emphasizes the environmental impact of animal farming, showing that even small dietary changes, like one plant-based meal a day, can significantly reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, she inspires viewers to harness their 'superpower'—their daily food choices—to improve personal health, protect animals, and combat climate change.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Everyone has a 'superpower' to make choices that positively impact their health, morality, and the planet.
• 🐔 Personal experiences, like witnessing animal suffering, can inspire lifelong ethical dietary choices.
• 🩺 Nutrition is the largest contributor to chronic diseases, and 80% of these diseases are preventable according to WHO.
• 📚 Scientific research shows plant-based diets significantly reduce risks of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
• 🌎 Animal farming produces more greenhouse gases than all global transportation combined, heavily impacting climate change.
• 🥦 Blue Zones, such as Okinawa, demonstrate that diets rich in fruits and vegetables contribute to longevity and lower chronic disease rates.
• 🍽️ Small changes, like replacing one meal a day with a plant-based alternative (OMD), are practical and achievable for everyone.
• 💧 One plant-based meal per day can save approximately 740,000 liters of water per year, equivalent to 10,000 showers.
• 🚗 Switching one meal per day to plant-based can reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving 1,500 km by car.
• 🌸 Individual dietary choices collectively shape the future of personal health, animal welfare, and the environment.
• 🛠️ Radical diet changes are not required; incremental steps still create meaningful, long-term impact.
• 🤝 Ethical, health, and environmental benefits of plant-based diets are interconnected and reinforce each other.

Q & A

What 'superpower' does the speaker claim everyone possesses?

The speaker claims that everyone has the superpower to choose what they eat, which can positively impact health, prevent animal suffering, and contribute to saving the planet.

What personal experience led the speaker to stop eating meat at age 10?

The speaker witnessed the killing of a chicken on a farm she was visiting, realizing that the meat she ate had once been a living animal, which prompted her moral decision to stop eating meat.

According to the WHO, what percentage of chronic diseases are preventable, and what contributes most to them?

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of chronic diseases are preventable, and nutrition is the single largest contributor to these diseases.

What are Blue Zones, and why are they significant in the speaker's research?

Blue Zones are regions where people live longer and have fewer chronic diseases. They are significant because studies of these populations show that lifestyle, social settings, and nutrition—particularly plant-based diets—contribute to longevity.

What are some health benefits of a plant-based diet mentioned in the transcript?

A plant-based diet can reduce the risk of diabetes by 60%, cancer by 19%, and cardiovascular diseases by 40%, in addition to improving overall longevity and well-being.

How does the food we eat impact the environment, according to the speaker?

The food system is responsible for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with half of that from animal farming alone, which exceeds emissions from all global transportation combined.

What is the OMD concept, and why does the speaker recommend it?

OMD stands for 'One Meal a Day,' a concept where one meal per day is replaced with a plant-based alternative. The speaker recommends it because it is practical, achievable, and still has a significant positive impact on health and the environment.

What is the projected environmental impact if one person follows OMD for a year?

Replacing one meat or dairy meal per day with a plant-based alternative for a year can save 740,000 liters of water (about 10,000 showers) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving 1,500 kilometers by car.

Why does the speaker emphasize gradual dietary changes instead of radical shifts?

The speaker emphasizes gradual changes because many people have busy lives and radical shifts can be overwhelming. Small, incremental changes are more sustainable and still lead to meaningful health and environmental benefits.

How does the speaker link moral choices, health, and environmental impact in her message?

The speaker links these areas by explaining that choosing a plant-based diet reduces animal suffering (moral), lowers the risk of chronic diseases (health), and reduces greenhouse gas emissions (environmental), demonstrating how one choice can positively affect multiple aspects of life.

What role does the Okinawan diet play in the speaker’s argument?

The Okinawan diet, rich in fruits and vegetables with minimal meat and fish, serves as an example of a plant-based eating pattern linked to longevity and low chronic disease rates, supporting the benefits of plant-based diets.

What motivational message does the speaker leave the audience with?

The speaker motivates the audience by emphasizing that each individual has the power to create positive change through small dietary choices, showing that even one plant-based meal a day can collectively transform health, animal welfare, and the planet's future.