San Francisco Man Is Finalist in PETA's 'Sexiest Vegetarian' Contest

The Vote Is On--Winners Will Head Off to Maui for One Week

For Immediate Release:
March 29, 2010

Contact:
Kristina Addington 757-622-7382

San Francisco -- What do Heroes hottie Milo Ventimiglia and country music crooner Kellie Pickler have in common? They are the reigning king and queen of PETA's annual Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest. PETA has now expanded the contest to include the Sexiest Vegetarians Next Door--one male and one female--and 28-year-old San Francisco resident Ricardo Moreira beat out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 male contestants to advance to the final round.

Moreira, who is a professional mixed martial arts fighter, made the transition from a vegetarian diet to a vegan one four years ago because of his commitment to martial arts--a commitment that includes respect for all living beings. Moreira says that since he went vegan, his energy level has increased and he has been able to recover more quickly from injury and sickness. He believes that eating a vegan diet helped him to heal after a potentially career-ending back injury. Moreira regularly volunteers at local animal rights events and enjoys spending time with his companion dog.

"On average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier too," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, who notes that vegetarians get all the protein, vitamins, and other nutrients that they need without consuming all the cholesterol and saturated fats that are found in meat and dairy products. "One look at our radiant lineup of sexy finalists and it's clear that they're all winners."

To see Moreira's photo and bio, along with profiles of the other sexy vegetarian finalists, please click here. The second round of voting ends March 31, and the two winners will be announced on April 14. Each winner will spend seven nights in beautiful Maui, courtesy of the PETA Member Advantage Program.

For more information and to vote in the contest, please visit PETA.org or click here.