Pittsburgh Man Is a Finalist in PETA’s Sexiest Vegan Next Door Contest

Pitt Med Student Aims to Let His Patients Know That if They Want to Keep Their Tickers Ticking, They Should Try Kicking the Meat Habit

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Pittsburgh — PETA’s Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013 contest is down to the wire, and 25-year-old Pittsburgh resident Jayshiv Badlani could take home the grand prize. That’s because he has beaten out more than 100 other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 male contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one male and one female) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

“Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets,” says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. “On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too.”

Badlani, who has lived in Pittsburgh all his life, is a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and he enjoys discussing diet and health with his patients. “I let patients know that … they can greatly reduce their risk of certain diseases … by limiting the amount of meat and animal products in their diet,” he says. Badlani credits his Hindu religion and respect for all life with inspiring him to go vegan and says that even as a young child, he felt that it was wrong to eat animals. Now that his energy level has soared and he has replaced a few unwanted pounds with lean muscle, he’s prouder than ever about his ethical choice. He also has his own blog, which discusses why he went vegan and manages to treat a very serious subject in a very funny way, and his grandparents and several of his friends have gone vegetarian after he showed them how easy it is. Badlani enjoys working out as well as hip-hop, salsa, and classical Indian dancing.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.