Study reports that vegetarian diet may mask eating disorder in Te xas

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

I hope some of you will be able to find the time to respond to the

unfortunate article (appended below) that was carried by Reuters Health,

kindly forwarded to me by Shankar Narayan (thanks, Shankar!). While the

article reports that vegetarian teens are more likely to suffer from eating

disorders than other teens, half of the " vegetarians " in the study coming

out the University of Minnesota eat chicken, 42% eat fish, and 80% consume

dairy. Although the last few paragraphs are positive, the causality is

totally screwed up in the design of the experiment (they weren't polling

vegetarians in polling the fish-and-chicken eaters, and although

dairy-consumers are technically vegetarian, everyone knows that the greatest

health benefits in eschewing animal products comes in kicking the dairy

habit, and everyone knows that even reduced-fat dairy products are

tremendously fatty - many articles that I've been reading in mainstream

health publications, like " Shape " magazine, talk about reducing or

eliminating dairy from one's diet, and getting calcium from plant sources!),

and the headline (which most people will read) screams negative. Arghhh!!!

 

I just sent a polite email to the author of the article:

Suzanne.Rostler, and it would be terrific if some other people

could also send polite letters asking Ms. Rostler to be a little more

critical in her accounts of the researchers' work.

 

Thanks and best regards,

Alka

 

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Monday December 10 10:38 AM ET

Vegetarian Diet May Mask Eating Disorder in Teens

By Suzanne Rostler

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenage vegetarians may be at greater risk of

eating disorders and suicide than their meat-eating peers, according to

researchers.

Their study found that adolescent vegetarians were more weight- and

body-conscious, more likely to have been told by a doctor that they had an

eating disorder, and more likely to have tried a variety of healthy and

unhealthy weight control practices including diet pills, laxatives and

vomiting. They were also more likely than their peers to have contemplated

or attempted suicide.

Male vegetarians were even more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control

practices such as vomiting after eating and weighing themselves frequently

than non-vegetarian males, report researchers in the December issue of the

Journal of Adolescent Health.

The findings suggest that vegetarianism may serve as a red flag for eating

and other problems related to self-image in teens, conclude Dr. Cheryl L.

Perry, from the University of Minnesota, and colleagues.

``Our study indicates that adolescent vegetarians are more likely than adult

vegetarians to be vegetarians for weight-control than for health reasons.

Because they are so interested in weight control, they engage in a variety

of behaviors that are associated with trying to lose weight, both healthy

and unhealthy,'' Perry explained in an interview with Reuters Health.

The study found that nearly 6% of nearly 5,000 urban middle- and high-school

students surveyed in Minnesota reported that they were vegetarian, or did

not eat red meat. More than half of the vegetarians reported eating chicken,

about 42% ate fish, more than three-quarters ate eggs and nearly 80%

consumed dairy products.

Overall, semi-vegetarians, or those who ate some animal products, were more

likely to engage in weight-control practices but less likely to exercise

than restricted vegetarians. Semi-vegetarians, the authors suggest, may be

using the diet as another form of weight control and may be a target for

programs to prevent eating disorders.

All vegetarians weighed themselves more often and were more likely to say

that they were dissatisfied with their bodies than non-vegetarians.

Vegetarians were also more likely to report that they cared less about being

healthy although they cared more about eating healthy foods.

The results of the study show that nearly three-quarters of vegetarians were

females and nearly half were white. The main reason for following a

vegetarian diet was a desire to lose or maintain weight. Students also said

they did not want to be involved in killing animals, they did not like the

taste of meat, they thought vegetarianism was a healthier diet, and they

wanted to help the environment.

To be sure, a vegetarian diet can be more healthy than one that contains red

meat, the authors note. Studies have found that adult vegetarians tend to

live longer, are generally leaner and are less likely to be diagnosed with

heart disease and some cancers than adults who consume animal products.

Similarly, adolescent vegetarians may eschew animal products as a way to

take control of their health in a way that does not involve unhealthy weight

control practices, assert their independence or establish their identity.

Previous research has shown that adolescent vegetarians eat more fruits,

vegetables, legumes and fewer sweet and salty snack foods, and are more

concerned with animal cruelty and environmental issues than their peers.

``Although adult vegetarianism has demonstrated healthful outcome,

adolescent vegetarianism may be a signal that other, health-compromising

attitudes and behaviors may also be adopted, particularly those related to

unhealthy weight control,'' the study authors write.

SOURCE: Journal of Adolescent Health 2001;29:406-416.