Acclaimed Lifestyle Physician Dr. Michael Klaper Visits RWU

On Thursday November 9th, Roger Williams University was lucky enough to welcome Dr. Michael Klaper onto campus for an enriching and inspiring lecture on plant-based nutrition for human health and the planet. Dr. Michael Klaper is a renowned physician who has made it his life’s work to educate the world on the importance and benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet. Dr. Klaper voluntarily travels to universities and medical schools across the country in hopes of spreading his message to the widest possible audience.

The luncheon and lecture was coordinated by RWU’s newest Public Health professor, Dr. Jacob Bueno de Mesquita, who is an environmental health scientist and epidemiologist working on climate mitigation and health promotion. The lecture achieved an admirable turnout of over 50 people, attendees ranging from students across many different majors, professors, and other university faculty members. The lecture materials were able to reach an even larger audience for those who were unable to attend via a recording of the lecture. The event also boasted a delicious buffet of a variety of vegan, plant-based foods in collaboration with Bon Appetit, RWU’s acclaimed dining service. 

In his presentation, Dr. Klaper condemned the unhealthy standards of a typical American diet and emphasized the vital importance of proper nutrition. Not only is a whole-food, plant-based diet able to prevent the development of devastating chronic diseases, but can also effectively reverse the effects of illness and rejuvenate the body. Dr. Klaper spread the message that a healthy lifestyle revolves around whole-food, plant-based nutrition and it’s never too late to introduce healing nutrients into your lifestyle. Dr. Klaper also briefly spoke about the astounding benefits that plant-based nutrition has in mitigating climate change. He detailed that a plant-based diet has been proven to reduce carbon emissions, maximize land use, and greatly cut down on water pollution. 

Klaper clearly demonstrated that if everyone in the world went plant-based we would gain land (that would no longer be needed to support animal agriculture) the size of the African continent, and we would only need 20% of that land to feed every human a nutritious plant-based diet. Then we would rewild the remaining 80% with natural ecosystems creating a carbon sink large enough to mitigate the carbon footprint since the industrial revolution. 

Following the presentation, Dr. Klaper opened up the floor to questions. Students and faculty alike appreciated the opportunity to engage directly with Dr. Klaper and learn more about how to utilize his advice in all circumstances. Dialogue revolved around how to move forward with changes at institutional levels (including in the medical community) and also at the personal level. 

The lecture was well-received by students of all disciplines. Kylee Meadows, a first-year Psychology student, recalled, “I thought the Dr. Klaper lecture was very insightful and informative about eating a plant-based diet.” Another  first-year Public Health major, also spoke eagerly about Dr. Klaper’s teachings, “Dr. Klaper’s passionate way of speaking really got through to me. He definitely has inspired me to make a change in my life and I hope to be able to gradually improve the way I live based on his advice.” Myah Melucci, a third student in Dr. Bueno de Mesquita’s Systems of Human Health and Disease course, awarded Dr. Klaper with a Planetary Health and Harmony Award (pictured) for pioneering the understanding of the power of plant-based nutrition for revolutionizing population health, reversing climate change and ecosystem degradation, and fostering more harmonious human-animal-natural world relationships.

Gratitude goes to cosponsors who made the event possible, including RWU Public Health, RWU Pre-Health, RWU Food Studies, The Jane Pleskunas Fund, Bon Appetit, and Roger Wellness/Health and Wellness Educators. 

Watch the Presentation