DR. JOHN McDougall was a physician, expert speaker, and best-selling author who preached and taught the importance of a whole-food, plant-and-starch-based, vegan diet.
Dr. McDougall’s wife, Mary McDougall, co-created The McDougall Program alongside her husband and continues to advocate for healing, reversing, and stopping chronic illness and disease through a healthy diet.
Who is John McDougall’s wife, Mary?
Mary McDougall describes herself as a “retired nurse, homemaker, co-founder of the McDougall Program, and co-author of 13 national best-selling books,” as reported on The McDougall Program’s website.
In 1971, John, a medical student, met Mary, a surgical nurse, in a hospital operating room in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The duo briefly dated before getting married.
After tying the knot, they moved to Hawaii so McDougall could begin his internship at the Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, Oahu.
The two spent the next 50+ years using diet therapy to help thousands of individuals with chronic health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and even cancer.
Their health and wellness tips, as well as recipes and more, are the subject of several books, including:
- The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!
- The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or Less
- The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
- The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health
Mary, alongside her husband, co-founded The McDougall Program, which “heals chronic illness through professional medical care, world-class education and ongoing support for people transitioning to a starch-based lifestyle.”
The program, which “bans” animal products, alcohol, caffeine, most cooking oils, and processed foods, focuses instead on a low-fat, starch-and-plant-based diet.
This diet includes foods like rice, corn, breads, pasta, and potatoes, along with fresh and frozen vegetables and fruit.
Since beginning her work with Dr. John McDougall, Mary has created over 3,000 recipes that have helped thousands of patients reverse and heal health problems while eliminating over-the-counter and prescription medications.
She is also a co-founder, alongside her late husband and Jim Ahrens, of Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods, which offers healthy and convenient soups, ramen, and noodle cups.
Do John and Mary McDougall have children?
Dr. John McDougall and Mary McDougall consider their three children– and seven grandchildren – as “their proudest accomplishments.”
The McDougalls’ three children were all born in Hawaii, while their grandchildren were born on the US West Coast.
Their oldest child and only daughter, Heather McDougall, works for the McDougall Program, serving as the CEO of Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center.
Heather is “an experienced medical program director, group facilitator, and whole-food, starch-based home chef.”
Her goals as CEO include “serving her patients, supporting her world-class team, and sharing free information on the company website to encourage disease prevention for everyone.”
Their second child and oldest son, Patrick McDougall, graduated with a degree in Chemistry from the University of Colorado, according to LinkedIn.
After earning his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he served as a Postdoctoral Associate at Stanford University.
In 2008, he began working for a subsidiary of Chevron in Richmond, California, working his way up to his current position, Sustainability Manager.
The McDougalls’ youngest child and second son, Craig McDougall, is an internal medicine doctor.
He is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Medicine.
Craig previously “worked as a primary care doctor and was the physician-lead of a lifestyle medicine consult clinic at Kaiser Permanente,” according to his OHSU biography.
“They’re our whole life,” John McDougall told The Press Democrat in a 2012 interview, referring to his children and grandchildren.
“There’s hardly any room for anything else,” he added.
When did John McDougall die?
On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Dr. John McDougall’s family released a statement announcing his passing.
Dr. McDougall died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the age of 77.
“With a heavy heart, we share the news of Dr. John McDougall’s passing,” the statement began.
Heather McDougall, Dr. McDougall’s daughter and the CEO of The McDougall Program, described him as “a visionary physician and author, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, mentor and friend.”
“Dr. McDougall leaves behind a profound legacy. His journey into healthcare began with a massive stroke at the age of 18.”
“While this illness left him with a lifelong disability, it also ignited in him the passion to transform healthcare for the better, impacting countless lives around the world.”
Dr. McDougall managed to recover from his stroke but was left with a life-long limp despite his best efforts to reverse his condition with his eating habits.
“John lived a life full of adventure, love, and happiness.”
“Our family will remember him as the man who taught us to live life to the fullest and always speak the truth.”
“The world will remember him as the man who revolutionized modern healthcare and championed dietary therapy.”
Rather than focus on prescription medications or surgeries, Dr. McDougall focused on healing via eating and changing one’s eating habits to eliminate or alleviate health issues.
“In honoring Dr. McDougall’s memory, we ask you to continue to live healthfully, love each other and be kind to the environment and the animals who share it.”
“We promise that the McDougall Program will continue.”
“While this mission began with Dr. McDougall’s dream, it will live on and evolve through the dedication of his children and the team he personally picked to help him turn his vision into reality.”
“This is a family business, and we promise to be there for you, as Dr. John McDougall always was.”