Neal D. Barnard (born 10 July 1953) is an American

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

activist, physician and founding president of the

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. According to Charity Navigator, the organization works for "compassionate and effective medical practice, res ...

(PCRM). Barnard has authored books advocating a whole food

plant-based diet A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. It encompasses a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables ...

ary eating pattern.

Early life and education

Barnard was born and grew up in

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...

. He received medical training at

George Washington University School of Medicine The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (abbreviated as GW Medical School, GW Medicine, or SMHS) is the professional medical school of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. SMHS is one of the most ...

, where he began exploring

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

diets. He is board certified by the

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1934 following conferences of committees appointed by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Neurological Association, and the t ...

, a fellow of the

American College of Cardiology The American College of Cardiology (ACC), based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit medical association established in 1949. It bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet its qualifications. Education is a core component of the ...

and a lifetime member of the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. This medical association was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 ...

. Barnard is an activist for animal rights. He is associated with

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal rights ...

(PETA) and has written for their magazine ''Animal Times''.

Career

Barnard founded

(PCRM) in 1985 to promote preventive medicine. By 2016, the Washington D.C.–based PCRM had 150,000 members, including 12,000 physicians, and reported revenues of more than $20 million. He appeared in the documentaries ''

Super Size Me ''Super Size Me'' is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he claimed to consume o ...

'' (2004), '' Forks Over Knives'' (2011), '' PlantPure Nation'' (2015), and ''

What the Health ''What the Health'' is a 2017 American documentary film that advocates for a plant-based diet. It critiques the health effects of meat, dairy product and egg consumption, and questions the practices of leading health and pharmaceutical organiza ...

'' (2017). Since 2003, Barnard has served as an adjunct professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine. In January 2016, Barnard founded the Barnard Medical Center in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, which provides primary care with a focus on nutrition guidance. In his active practice, Barnard works with patients with

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...

, and other conditions in clinical research protocols. He plays cello, guitar, and keyboards. He has been a member of the bands Pop Maru, Verdun, and Carbonworks.

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...

once called Barnard "

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex V ...

with a medical degree". In 2011, Barnard was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame of the

North American Vegetarian Society The North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) is a charity and activist organization with the stated objectives of supporting vegetarians and informing the public about the benefits of vegetarianism. It was initially founded in 1974 to organize th ...

during its summer conference, where he has occasionally spoken. In February 2013, Barnard's self-help book ''Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory'' was published. Reviewing it, biological psychologist David O Kennedy said that while it contained dietary advice which could be helpful, or at least harmless, its "all-or-nothing, hard-core vegan remedy" risked doing little more than raising readers' anxiety levels. By 2019, Barnard had authored 20 books, including ''The Vegan Starter Kit: Everything You Need to Know about Plant-based Eating''. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.

Diabetes

Barnard authored the 2009 book ''Dr Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes''. It argues that a low-fat vegan diet can stabilize blood sugar and insulin function and minimize medication within weeks. Jim Mann has commented that although a low-fat vegan diet can help to promote weight loss to manage diabetes "some of the claims made by the author are overrated; in particular, to imply that Type 1 diabetes can be reversed is mischievous".

Elaine Rush Professor Emeritus Elaine Carolyn Rush, , is a Professor of Nutrition at Auckland University of Technology. In 2014 she was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to health and in 2019 she was appointed Profe ...

stated that although the book does include some sound advice, "not all diabetes can be reversed and therefore the title of this book is misleading." She also suggested that Barnard's low-fat vegan diet would not be suitable for children or pregnant women without expert support. Peter Lipson of ''

Science-Based Medicine ''Science-Based Medicine'' is a website and blog with articles covering issues in science and medicine, especially medical scams and practices. Founded in 2008, it is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society, and run by Steve ...

'' has criticized Barnard's views on low-fat vegan diets reversing type 2 diabetes as based on only one study, commenting "This is not a study on which to hang an entire medical philosophy". According to Lipson,

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...

is more important than a specific type of diet in determining diabetes improvement and the idea that a particular diet is a panacea is untrue.

Selected publications

;Books * *''Dr Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes'' (

Rodale Press Rodale, Inc. (), was an American publisher of health and wellness magazines, books, and digital properties headquartered in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with a satellite office in New York City. The company was founded in 1930. In 2017, it was acquired ...

, 2009) *''The Cheese Trap: How Breaking a Surprising Addiction Will Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Get Healthy'' (

Grand Central Publishing Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Kinney National Company acquired the New York City-based Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publis ...

, 2017)

Awards

*Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award, 2016 from The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) *6th Plantrician Project Luminary Award, 2019 – from The Plantrician Project

Personal life

Barnard plays

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

, guitar, and keyboards and has been a member of the bands Pop Maru, Verdun, and Carbonworks.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnard, Neal D. 1953 births Living people 20th-century American physicians 21st-century American physicians American animal rights activists American anti-vivisectionists American health and wellness writers American nutritionists American psychiatrists American veganism activists Fellows of the American College of Cardiology George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences faculty George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences alumni Plant-based diet advocates Physicians from North Dakota Vegan cookbook writers Writers from Fargo, North Dakota