September 2006

Vegetarianism… the intelligent choice!

Vegetarians prove to be the brainiest Brits

The Vegetarian Society is THRILLED to announce that vegetarians have beaten the nation to be crowned the brainiest Brits in the UK.

A 40-strong team of vegetarians came out top as the studio team winners of Saturday night’s hugely popular National IQ Contest on BBC One. And, proving that vegetarianism is clearly an intelligent choice, the individual contestant with the highest overall IQ was a vegetarian too!

Across the UK, the total participating audience scores (over 80,000 individuals took part) gave the veggies the edge over non-veggies in the IQ stakes too.

Wearing green t-shirts, the vegetarian team competed against six other teams including butchers, estate agents, public school pupils, state school pupils, footballers’ wives and celebrities.

The winning team was made up of vegetarians and Society members from all around the UK, including five members of Vegetarian Society staff. As the results were announced, the veggie team was consistently in the top three but not the obvious victors. However, when the final scores were tallied, including IQ variations for age differences, we were delighted to be declared the winners – with an overall IQ of 113. Interestingly, The Butchers came joint fourth! For a full break-down of the scores please go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/testthenation/iq/results/results.shtml

Top-scoring contestant Marie Bidmead, 68, a mother-of-five from Churcham, Gloucester said: “It was great fun. The veggie team was so united and jolly, regardless of winning. We all went along for a bit of fun and were up against highflying students and stars. I was in absolute shock when I got the top score! I failed my 11-plus and I’ve never considered myself to be a brain-box. I think it shows that we veggies are good ‘thinkers’ – we think about what we eat with intelligence for a start!”

Feature ideas for press and radio:

• Is a vegetarian diet the key to success as well as well-being?
• New school dinner provision recommendations – why a veggie menu could be the answer.
• How does diet affect brain academic performance?
• From Pythagoras to Einstein – why were so many of history’s top thinkers vegetarian.
• Famous vegetarians.
• Lower rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure. Now, even a sign of intelligence, is vegetarianism the future?

Notes for editors

• Please contact Collette Walsh for further information, interviews, contacts, Vegetarian Society and Test the Nation logos and photography. The Vegetarian Society Press Office: 0161 925 2012. Email: collette@vegsoc.org

• Outside office hours The Vegetarian Society Press Office can be contacted on 07973 108 165. Alternatively visit the website for lots more information at www.vegsoc.org.