Physician Profile: William Harris, M.D.

William Harris, M.D., an E.R. physician, hang glider, sailplane pilot, parachute jumper, and former Big Ten Trampoline Champion, says his toughest challenges come from battling the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other dominant forces working against America's good health.

"Since the Roosevelt administration's creation of price supports and surplus buy-ups for the USDA, we have provided selective financial aid to the very worst aspects of U.S. agriculture, and almost no aid to the growers of fruits and vegetables that people should be eating." Dr. Harris says that natural market forces and eliminating USDA ties would result in a steep decline in animal food consumption and a marked improvement in human health.

In 1998, he wrote The Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism and sent it to every member of the U.S. Congress to "educate them about the adverse effect of animal agriculture subsidies."

Dr. Harris is optimistic about the next generation of doctors. "Most physicians are aware that dietary fat and cholesterol are risk factors for many diseases." We've learned that vegetarian diets are the healthiest way to stay fit, he says. With more than 100 airplane jumps under his belt, he proves it.