PETA Pokes Perry Over Jelly Bellies

Perry: As long as he doesn't join the "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign, we're OK

Breaking news from the "Well, You Never Know Unless You Try" files. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are trying to get Texans to lose weight by encouraging Gov. Rick Perry to go vegan.

PETA, in their letter to Perry, explains that the best proven weight-loss system is cutting meat out of the diet. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stats, in 2007 Texas was the ninth fattest state in the nation, with 28.1% of its residents classified as obese. In 1987 (the first year with data avialable) 10%-14% of all Texans were classified as obese. By 1994, that had gone into the 15%-19% range. On the "positive" side, it's still lagging behind Mississippi (32%), Alabama (30.3%), Tennessee (30.1%), Louisiana (29.8%), West Virginia (29.5%), Arkansas (28.7%), South Carolina (28.4%) and Georgia (28.2%). Oddly, Colorado could rename itself the (comparitively) slimline state at less than 18.7%.

To encourage Perry to shift to a meat-free diet, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman wrote, "I will be mailing you a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit," which is packed with shopping tips and delicious recipes, very shortly."

Well, you never know unless you try.