May 29, 2009 6:23 pm US/Eastern
DeFede: PETA, Bikinis and Veggies, Oh My!
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Men's Health magazine recently named Miami the fattest city in America so the good folks from PETA came to town to hand out veggie hot dogs and hail the virtues of being a vegetarian; and they did it all while wearing green, lettuce inspired bikinis.
"Were here to make sure Miami doesn't make next year's list," said Amanda Fortino, a PETA representative from Los Angeles who flew in for the lunchtime event outside County Hall in downtown Miami.
And the bikinis?
"It's a fun way to let people know that vegetarianism is a healthy diet," she said. "It brings people in and we can also share an important message that we might not be able to get out as well if we weren't in the bikinis."
Carmen Cusack, dressed in a striking bikini made out of lettuce colored fabric, recently graduated from law school in Miami.
"We want to get attention," she said. "We want people to see that when you are healthy you are fitter and we want people to notice us and we want people to eat the veggie dogs."
Convincing people in downtown Miami wasn't difficult.
"Yes we like it," said one man, who appeared to be homeless, "especially when we are hungry and we have no money to buy any food."
Added another fellow who was suffering through tough times: "They're great."
But if the idea was to convert folks to glories of being a vegetarian, this probably wasn't the best audience.
Asked if he would now become a vegetarian, the man said: "Ahh, no because I don't like vegetables. But as long as they are in a hot dog, why not."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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