Considering that the U.S. surgeon general recently warned people that obesity may soon surpass tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death, many people will likely be ringing in the New Year with the all-too-familiar resolution to lose weight. Fortunately, PETA has a diet that’s proved to help you lose weight and still eat great—vegetarianism!

Want to go vegetarian but need a little motivation to help you stick to your resolution for more than five minutes? Check out PETA’s handy list of the top 10 reasons to go vegetarian. Drum roll (but hold the drumsticks), please:

10. You’ll be able to defend your SUV habit by pointing out that producing a single hamburger patty takes enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles and enough water for 17 showers. (Click here for more information about the negative effects that eating meat has on the planet.)

9. You’ll cut your risk of heart attack by more than half so you won’t have to spend six weeks in bed watching Survivor. (Click here to read PETA’s factsheet on keeping a healthy heart.)

8. No guilt at the sudden realization that your food used to have a mom. (Click here to read PETA’s factsheet on factory farming.)

7. E. coli, salmonella, and mad cow disease will all be things of "Christmas Past." (Click here to read PETA’s factsheet, "Eating for Life.")

6. No more plus-size shops, meal- replacement drinks, and thighs with their own zoning regulations. The American Dietetic Association states that "vegetarians, especially vegans, often have weights that are closer to desirable weights than do nonvegetarians." (Click here to find out why that burger is making you so fat.)

5. No need to worry about chicken heads (or other body parts) showing up in your take-out order. (Click here for more information on chickens.)

4. Grilled portobello mushrooms. (Enjoy delicious vegetarian recipes found here.)

3. Your libido will take on massive proportions. Eating meat can cause impotence because it clogs the arteries going to all your organs, not just to your heart. (Try PETA’s tantalizing Veggie Viagra recipes here.)

2. Whose team would you rather be on—vegetarian tennis great Martina Navratilova’s or Dave "I found the beef and it’s in my coronary artery" Thomas’? (Click here to read about some other famous vegetarians.)

1. One word: haggis. (For helpful tips on making the switch to a vegetarian diet, please click here.)

Get started on your resolution now! Fill out this form to receive PETA’s free vegetarian starter kit. You—and the animals—will have a happier, healthier New Year!