Vegan Olympian Teams Up With the Director of ‘The Cove’ to Bust Dairy Myths in Badass New Commercial (VIDEO)

Although the dairy industry has seen some significant losses due to the soaring popularity of non-dairy milks, the government-subsidized industry still has the means to inundate the airwaves with misleading ads promoting the consumption of dairy. Many of you may have seen their commercial stating that “nine out of ten” Olympians grew up drinking milk, which although perhaps true, has no significance, as the majority of the population grew up consuming milk, including those who suffer from a variety of health ailments.

Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch was perturbed by these misleading dairy ads and wanted to do something to counteract them. She explained, “Our grandparents grew up smoking. I bet nine out of ten serial killers grew up drinking milk, too. What you drink as a child has nothing to do with whether you will grow up and become an Olympian.” Partnering up with Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos (who directed The Cove and The Game Changers, a new film featuring vegan athletes), Bausch and a crew of five other dairy-free athletes starred in an awesome commercial that aired regionally during this year’s Olympic Closing Ceremony.

The ad also features Olympic swimmer Rebecca Soni, weightlifter Kendrick Farris, skier Seba Johnson (who has never drunk cow’s milk), soccer player Kara Lang, and runner Malachi Davis. All the athletes report improved health and athletic performance as a result of ditching dairy. Bausch explained the myths behind the health benefits of dairy, “I believe that we have a duty as a society to tell the truth, especially when the truth is being manipulated … Drinking 2+ glasses of milk per day increases women’s risk of a hip fracture by 45 percent. Women who drank just 1+ glass of whole milk per day were at three times greater risk for ovarian cancer. By drinking milk each day during adolescence, men increase their risk of advanced prostate cancer by more than threefold.”

We are thrilled to see star athletes speaking out against big dairy and we hope their efforts inspire viewers to make the change and ditch dairy too. If you are ready to cut dairy out of your life, check out these One Green Planet tips.

And remember to share this inspiring new ad with your friends and family and encourage them to ditch dairy with you!