Baltimore Children’s Choir Gives National Hot Dog Month New Meaning, Records New Oscar Mayer Jingle Parody

Baltimore, MD—The Saint David’s Children’s Choir of Catonsville has recorded for release in July, National Hot Dog Month, a parody of the original, well-known Oscar Mayer wiener jingle focused on plant-based rather than processed meat wieners. When Kraft Heinz announced recently that it is seeking to sell Oscar Mayer, the public health advocacy nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine offered $1.5 million in a letter to Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera to purchase the business. Physicians Committee would like to switch the brand line to solely plant-based products.

Giving National Hot Dog Month a whole new meaning, the children’s studio-recorded jingle sings, “Oh, I wish I were a vegan-friendly wiener. That is what I’d truly like to be. A more nutritious, plant-based Oscar Mayer wiener. Better for the Earth and my body.”

The American Gastroenterological Association announced at its annual conference in May that a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data found that, “Between 1999 and 2020, the rate of colorectal cancers grew 500% among children ages 10 to 14, 333% among teens aged 15 to 19, and 185% among young adults ages 20 to 24.” Processed meat has been categorized as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization since 2015, and yet hot dogs are still served in many schools, homes, and businesses in the United States.

“The new data on colorectal cancer rates in young people is shocking and should concern all parents and medical practitioners,” says Physicians Committee Lifestyle Medicine Physician Vanita Rahman, MD. “This new yet familiar jingle is just one way to catch the attention of parents and children, which is important as they are the ones who have historically been targeted by Oscar Mayer ads for processed meats.”

In its recent annual cancer statistics report, the American Cancer Society predicted more than 2 million new cancer cases and more than 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States in 2024.

“Shifting away from the traditional American diet high in processed meats, like hot dogs and bacon, to one focused on plant foods will improve the health status of Americans,” Dr. Rahman adds. “Americans’ interest in consuming animal products is waning and their interest in plant-based foods increasing, so this is the perfect time for Oscar Mayer to sell. Will you help us transition the wiener to make Oscar Mayer leaner and greener?”

In the late 1990s, colorectal cancer was the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women under 50 years. It has risen to the leading cause of cancer death in men aged 20-49 years, and the third leading cause in women aged 20-39 years, after breast and cervical cancers.

Research shows that the best way to improve the quality of your health is to improve the quality of the foods you eat, and that means avoiding animal products and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.

Obesity, a key risk factor for many cancers, increases the risk of gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal and non-colorectal GI cancer. Research shows that people who are overweight or obese in early and middle adulthood, or who either fail to lose weight or gain more weight, have an increased risk of the disease.

Red and processed meat consumption can increase the risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers, among others. Grilling and smoking meat make it more dangerous to human health. A plant-based diet, on the other hand, is one of the most effective ways to reduce overweight and obesity and lower the risk of colon cancer.

According to a study published in BMC Medicine, men who ate the most plant-based foods had a 22% reduced risk of colon cancer, compared with those who ate the least. “Eating a plant-based diet increases consumption of fiber and antioxidants associated with cancer prevention, while simultaneously avoiding the compounds in animal products linked to cancer risk,” Physicians Committee President Neal Barnard, MD, explains. “It has long been known that people who avoid meat are at reduced risk.”

The Adventist Health Study-2 has also shown the benefit of a plant-based diet for lowering the risk of cancer and death from any cause. Researchers compared all-cause mortality and cancer incidence rates in Seventh-day Adventist participants, who often follow a plant-based diet, with the general U.S. population documented in census data. Early death and cancer incidence rates were lower among Black study participants by 36% and 22%, respectively, compared with Black people in the census data. Studies have also shown the benefits of consuming more plants in lowering the risk of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

Research shows that a whole food, plant-based diet leads to a healthier weight, which decreases the likelihood of developing obesity, a risk factor for many illnesses and ailments, including cancer. The Physicians Committee offers a wealth of free education and nutrition resources, including the Vegan Kickstart.