Vladimir Filonov / MT
A corn-on-the-cob vendor waiting for customers on a Moscow street. The sign says, Tasty, Hot Corn for You.
ST. PETERSBURG Vegetarians andvegans inRussia face anuphill battle inreceiving broad acceptance oftheir diets.
State health officials warn ofpoor nutrition, andsome psychiatrists say strict meat-free lifestyles are anindicator ofmental illness.
Vegetarianism took thespotlight inSt. Petersburg when thecity's chief dietitian, Vladimir Dotsenko, said vegetarian andraw-food diets are dangerous forchildren andpregnant women.
"Vegans practice raw foodism. Such adiet results ina lack ofvitamins Aand D, calcium andprotein, which are all found inanimal products," Dotsenko said ata recent news conference.
"Rational vegetarians consume milk andeggs, giving them close tooptimal nutrition," he said, according toInterfax. "However, children need toeat meat togrow, andpregnant women also need toin order tohelp thedevelopment ofa normal fetus."
Thecomments didn't sit well with locals who choose toavoid meat.
Vera Kozlovskaya, 30, who teaches atSt. Petersburg Polytechnic University, said some ofher vegetarian andvegan acquaintances had given birth tohealthy children.
They also put their children onfull-fledged vegetarian diets, andthe children have grown anddeveloped well, she said.
Original post:
Vegetarians Thrive Despite Widespread Prejudice
