The Health Ministries department at the world church headquarters is perhaps in the best position to answer your question. Here’s their response.
“There are many, many advantages to a vegetarian diet. Scientific studies have shown that vegetarian Adventists live two to three years longer than non-vegetarian Adventists who, in turn, live longer than those who are not church members. This longer life expectancy is because of a delay in the onset of heart disease, some cancers, high blood pressure and stroke, and of course, diabetes.
Adventists who eat a total plant-based diet (vegans) require supplemental vitamin B12 (which is often added to foods manufactured for vegetarians). In many parts of the world people don’t have access to these vitamin-enriched foods, and so milk (preferably skimmed or low fat) and egg yolks provide this essential vitamin. It’s interesting to note that Ellen White said that eggs contain a health promoting factor--and this was before science discovered the existence of Vitamin B12!
The church recommends lacto/ovo vegetarianism (that is, a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products and eggs), while recognizing that people can do very well on a total plant-based diet if Vitamin B12 supplementation is available and used regularly. Vegetarians need the nutritional equivalent of two to three glasses of milk per day to satisfy these vitamin requirements, but milk equivalents (like vitamin-enriched soy milk) also provide Vitamin D and calcium, of which some vegetarians tend to have a lower intake.”
The answer is that the church hopefully does not ignore “other big health risks” at all. The health message of the Adventist Church is a wholistic one--that is, we advocate a balanced lifestyle that focuses on the spiritual, physical, mental and social aspects of life.
The Health Ministries department of the world church makes the following points. “Of course, tobacco is a major killer, and if a smoker were to make only one change in his or her lifestyle, the removal of tobacco would bring the greatest health reward. Tobacco is the number one killer and health problem for anyone who uses it.
Sugar and fats are part of a normal diet, but it is our artificial processing of foods, and overuse of these refined substances, that cause problems. Refined sugars are added to soft drinks, pastries, cakes, and nearly every processed food. The consumption of sugar has more than quadrupled over the last century. This results in obesity, which increases our risk of diabetes and cancer.
Fat is the subject of much debate. Certainly saturated fats, which are mainly animal fats, are a major problem. That means butter, lard, bacon, fatty meats, all really increase risks of damaged blood vessels. On the other hand, olives, avocadoes, and nuts, which contain large proportions of fats are healthy, because their fats are good fats tending to reduce blood vessel disease. So it’s a question of which fats, rather than no fats.
Some of the newer oils, such as walnut oil, flaxseed, soya oil, and canola, in small amounts, balance the kinds of fats we need and enable us to reduce our total caloric intake.”
Is the law of unclean animals still valid?
It is an interesting question because even Ellen and James White did not think these laws were valid initially. Only as Mrs. White received guidance about health did she understand these laws played a role in giving Israel a healthy lifestyle.
The Health Ministries department at the world church headquarters makes the following comments: “Israel had been given many laws of sanitation and hygiene, which indicate principles that still have weight today. Similarly, science has found that many of the animals prohibited in the book of Leviticus do carry parasitic diseases and may concentrate toxins by reason of their position in the food chain.
As a food guide to Israel, the Levitical laws are unparalleled as a concise and simple guide to avoiding trouble. God knows best and is continually upgrading our understanding in an effort to prepare us for better things. We believe in these end times He has blessed us with an even greater advance (such as vegetarianism).
In an extreme situation, it would not be a sin to eat an unclean food. But as a general matter of choice it is far better to accept God’s wisdom and advice. The Adventist Church does not require vegetarianism for membership, but strongly advocates the Bible as the guide for a healthy, happy, life. We believe that God is not arbitrary, and does not give rules just for the fun of it, and so we follow the advice He gives in Leviticus chapter 11.”