Dr Shireen Kassam – Founder and Director of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK – discusses her latest research on why healthcare systems, such as the NHS should do more to embrace and promote plant-based diets
It felt like significant progress to be asked to write a journal article by the Royal College of Physicians about the need to transform our food system, starting with diet change. The article is part of a series highlighting the impact of climate change on health and the role of healthcare professionals as trusted change makers.
The idea for this article emerged from a growing frustration. As doctors, we are trained to treat disease once it occurs, but we spend comparatively little time addressing its root causes. Poor diet is now the leading risk factor for illness globally, driving heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even certain cancers. At the same time, our food system, especially the heavy reliance on animal agriculture, is a leading cause of climate change and ecological degradation. Yet, these issues rarely feature prominently in medical education, policy discussions, or clinical practice.
My colleague Dr LJ Smith and I wanted to bring this overlooked issue to the forefront, not just to raise awareness, but to call for action. The science is clear: shifting towards a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while dramatically reducing our consumption of red and processed meats, can transform health outcomes and reduce the environmental burden of the food system. The Eat-Lancet Commission and many peer-reviewed studies now show that a predominantly plant-based diet supports both human and planetary health.
In writing this article, we also hoped to challenge the silence and reluctance within our profession. Despite the evidence, conversations about diet change are often sidestepped due to perceived barriers, concerns about patient autonomy, lack of training, or fears of being seen as too radical. There is also the pervasive influence of the food industry, which continues to promote meat and dairy as essential while casting doubt on the benefits of plant-based diets. These tactics are not new; they mirror the strategies long used by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries to delay action.
Healthcare professionals have a moral and professional responsibility to lead by example. Just as we’ve advocated against smoking and in favour of clean air, we must now speak honestly about diet. Our hospitals and clinics can be catalysts for change, through the meals we serve, the advice we offer, and the policies we endorse. The article highlights successful case studies, including New York’s public hospital system, where offering plant-based meals by default has led to reduced emissions, better patient outcomes, and lower costs.
Crucially, this transition is not about restriction. It’s about opportunity. An opportunity to live longer, healthier lives; to reclaim public health budgets from preventable disease; to restore ecosystems and reduce antibiotic resistance and zoonotic risk; and to build a food system that serves everyone, not just the powerful few.
The journal article concludes with practical recommendations for healthcare leaders: implement plant-based meals as the default in healthcare settings, remove red and processed meat from hospital menus, promote nutrition education, and support wider policy shifts that align food production with health and sustainability goals.
You can read the full article and support our call to action by promoting our initiative Plants First Healthcare.
The views expressed by our Research News contributors are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.
