The Proper Diet for Man

“The Proper Diet for Man” is a short treatise arguing for vegetarianism released by the Office of the Health Reformer, a publisher that promoted Seventh-day Adventist health reform material. This work uses the concepts of science and religion to argue its point and demonstrates the importance of both authorities to Adventist health reform views. However, to properly analyze this treatise, one must first see where it fits into history. Health reform movements gained traction in the United States during the early 19^th century and were promoted by people such as Sylvester Graham (of Graham cracker fame). Many health reformers advocated for vegetarianism, arguing that meat was unclean and excessively stimulating and therefore damaged the body.¹ Reformers appealed to both Christian teachings and then-current scientific findings to justify their claims.  

Despite being founded in 1863, later in the 19^th century, the Seventh-day Adventists emerged as major advocates of health reform. Seeing how they originated, it is unsurprising that the Seventh-day Adventists would be involved in this movement. Seventh-day Adventism evolved from Millerism, which predicted that the apocalypse would take place in 1844. According to Jonathan Butler, Adventists reinterpreted the prophetic event as a time when God would monitor people’s sins, and then “erected a framework in which to stabilize and order life while awaiting the end”.² Since health reform was seen as a means of improving society in preparation for Christ’s second coming, Adventists readily adopted it. However, because the United States was undergoing the Second Industrial Revolution in the late 19^th century, the ways in which the Adventists spread their message were influenced by the times. Adventists spread their message through mass-published journals such as the Health Reformer and various pamphlets and booklets including “The Proper Diet for Man”. Adventists also established health institutes including the Health Institute at Battle Creek, Michigan, later to become the Battle Creek Sanitarium, taking advantage of the growing American railway system and tourism industry. Moreover, the Adventists were tasked with spreading their health reform message in the face of ever-accumulating 19^th century scientific and technological progress.