Health

Internet Reacts to Arnold Schwarzenegger Becoming a Vegan

June 23rd 2016

Arnold Schwarzenegger: bodybuilder, actor, governor, and now ... vegan?

He's getting there. Schwarzenegger has teamed up with the environmental advocacy organization WildAid and the Chinese Nutrition Society for an ad-campaign encouraging the people of China to terminate meat from their diets, according to Rise of the Vegan.

In a behind the scenes video produced for the campaign, the film icon says he's reduced his own meat intake for two main reasons.

Reason 1: Health

"The more I went to my physical [examinations] the more doctors started stressing, 'Arnold you've got to get off meat' so I'm slowly getting off meat, and I can tell you, I feel fantastic!" Schwarzenegger says in the video.

Arnold Schwarzenegger veganVegan Body Building/Facebook - facebook.com

And he's not alone. Director James Cameron, who joins his former leading man in the video, agrees: "Meat and dairy are not good for your body, and they're not good for the environment." Which brings us to reason number two.

Reason 2: Environment

A 2013 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states that global livestock production is responsible for about 15 percent of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. Schwarzenegger puts it more simply: "less meat, less heat, more life."

Internet reactions are divided.

Some people are on board with Schwarzenegger's mission.

vegan commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

vegan commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

vegan commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

Others are skeptical.

Vegan Bodybuilding commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

Vegan Bodybuilding commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

Vegan Bodybuilding commentVegan Bodybuilding/Facebook - facebook.com

Is it really possible to build Schwarzenegger-like physique while abstaining from protein rich foods like red meat and and dairy?

As Jose Antonio, the chief executive of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, told the New York Times in 2012, “Is it possible to be a good bodybuilder and be a vegan? Yes. But is it ideal. No."

Schwarzenegger's stance is clear, though.

"If they tell you to eat more meat to be strong, don't buy it!"

You can watch the full video below.

Share your opinion

Do you think a vegan diet is the healthiest way to eat?

No 27%Yes 73%