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With President Obama's push to reform health care gobbling up reams of newsprint lately, we decided that the time was ripe to put forth our modest proposal for lowering health care costs: raise insurance premiums for meat-eaters.

Now, before you Hardee's fans reach for your defibrillators, hear me out. Insurance companies charge you higher rates for other risky behaviors, such as smoking and skydiving, so why not charge you for chowing down on burgers and brats? After all, a Chili's Big Mouth Bites meal (which includes four "mini" bacon cheeseburgers) packs a whopping 2,350 calories! That's more calories than most people should eat in an entire day.

PETA has written to the top two medical insurance providers suggesting that they stick it to raise rates for meat-eaters while simultaneously lowering rates for vegetarians. In our letter, we point out that compared to meat-eaters, vegetarians are less prone to a myriad of ailments—including heart disease. (Heart disease, for those who are taking notes, is America's number-one killer disease.)

But hey, why wait for your insurance company to start charging you extra for those Buffalo wings and Philly cheese steaks? You can start doing your part to slash health care costs today by ordering a free copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit."

Posted by Alisa Mullins

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A recent study suggests—that a certain sugar called Neu5Gc, which is commonly—and only—found in meat and dairy products, might actually increase the risk of infection from E. coli—that nasty bacteria that grows in animals' guts and is shed in their feces. E. coli can be deadly to human beings (remember the kids at Jack in the Box?). Slaughterhouses are filth pits, and that E. coli-ridden filth and feces often ends up on someone's hamburger or chicken breast. Children are particularly vulnerable if they are exposed to the bacteria.

In light of a recent E. coli outbreak in Vermont and this new finding about Neu5Gc, we've sent a letter off to the president of BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont. We are urging the health insurance company to lower health premiums for vegetarians—a change that can save money not only for vegetarians but the company as well. You can check out the full letter here.

Vegetarians are, on average, much healthier than meat and dairy eaters (E. coli outbreaks aside). Vegetarians have stronger immune systems, making them less susceptible to illnesses. And unless they are piling on the cheese and processed foods, they invariably weigh less. They are also 40 percent less likely to have cancer than are individuals who consume animal meat. And, as if that weren't enough, studies show that meat, eggs, and dairy products are all linked to osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, and even impotence. Yikes!

Nowadays, everyone is trying to save a buck. So, how about lowering health insurance premiums for people who choose a plant-based diet? After all, vegetarians generally require fewer health resources such as medications and doctor visits than do those who feed their bodies steroid-injected meat and pus-filled dairy "products"!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky