Children on meat-free diets 'suffer impaired growth'

[Guest guest]

There's an article in The Independent today reporting some research from UC

Davis. The article is here:

 

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=613225

 

It says:

 

" Denying growing children animal products in their diet during the critical

first few years of life was " unethical " and could do permanent damage, said

Professor Lindsay Allen, from the University of California at Davis. "

 

But the study (as described in The Independent, at least) seems *seriously*

flawed. A later paragraph says:

 

" She conducted a study which showed that adding just two spoonfuls of meat

to the diet of poverty-stricken children in Africa transformed them both

physically and mentally. "

 

So the study involved feeding meat to poverty-stricken (and probably

malnourished) children, and it found that their nutrition improved. The

article goes on to describe the control groups, none of whom was fed a

healthy, balanced, vegan diet. Yet the author of the research (Professor

Lindsay Allen) is now criticizing the vegan diet on the strength of this

flawed research.

 

Without a properly nourished, *vegan* control group, this research in no

way justifies criticising the vegan diet. The only conclusion this research

really justifies is that if one feeds one's children like poverty-stricken

children in Africa, they will not develop properly.

 

I'll email a letter to the editor of The Independent today. I'd like to

suggest that other list members consider doing so too.

 

Gerry

[Guest guest]

when you select a poverty stricken population what do you expect?

 

 

Gerry Morgan wrote:

 

>

> There's an article in The Independent today reporting some research

> from UC

> Davis. The article is here:

>

> http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=613225

>

> It says:

>

> " Denying growing children animal products in their diet during the

> critical

> first few years of life was " unethical " and could do permanent damage,

> said

> Professor Lindsay Allen, from the University of California at Davis. "

>

> But the study (as described in The Independent, at least) seems

> *seriously*

> flawed. A later paragraph says:

>

> " She conducted a study which showed that adding just two spoonfuls of

> meat

> to the diet of poverty-stricken children in Africa transformed them both

> physically and mentally. "

>

> So the study involved feeding meat to poverty-stricken (and probably

> malnourished) children, and it found that their nutrition improved. The

> article goes on to describe the control groups, none of whom was fed a

> healthy, balanced, vegan diet. Yet the author of the research (Professor

> Lindsay Allen) is now criticizing the vegan diet on the strength of this

> flawed research.

>

> Without a properly nourished, *vegan* control group, this research in no

> way justifies criticising the vegan diet. The only conclusion this

> research

> really justifies is that if one feeds one's children like

> poverty-stricken

> children in Africa, they will not develop properly.

>

> I'll email a letter to the editor of The Independent today. I'd like to

> suggest that other list members consider doing so too.

>

> Gerry

 

> Post message:

> Subscribe: -

> Un: -

> List owner: -owner

>

> Shortcut URL to this page:

> /community/

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Very good point! Seems they failed to consider that

factor...There's a shocker.

--- Bob C <rcomarow wrote:

 

> when you select a poverty stricken population what

> do you expect?

>

>

> Gerry Morgan wrote:

>

> >

> > There's an article in The Independent today

> reporting some research

> > from UC

> > Davis. The article is here:

> >

> >

>

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=613225

> >

> > It says:

> >

> > " Denying growing children animal products in their

> diet during the

> > critical

> > first few years of life was " unethical " and could

> do permanent damage,

> > said

> > Professor Lindsay Allen, from the University of

> California at Davis. "

> >

> > But the study (as described in The Independent, at

> least) seems

> > *seriously*

> > flawed. A later paragraph says:

> >

> > " She conducted a study which showed that adding

> just two spoonfuls of

> > meat

> > to the diet of poverty-stricken children in Africa

> transformed them both

> > physically and mentally. "

> >

> > So the study involved feeding meat to

> poverty-stricken (and probably

> > malnourished) children, and it found that their

> nutrition improved. The

> > article goes on to describe the control groups,

> none of whom was fed a

> > healthy, balanced, vegan diet. Yet the author of

> the research (Professor

> > Lindsay Allen) is now criticizing the vegan diet

> on the strength of this

> > flawed research.

> >

> > Without a properly nourished, *vegan* control

> group, this research in no

> > way justifies criticising the vegan diet. The only

> conclusion this

> > research

> > really justifies is that if one feeds one's

> children like

> > poverty-stricken

> > children in Africa, they will not develop

> properly.

> >

> > I'll email a letter to the editor of The

> Independent today. I'd like to

> > suggest that other list members consider doing so

> too.

> >

> > Gerry

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Post message:

> > Subscribe: -

> > Un:

> -

> > List owner: -owner

> >

> > Shortcut URL to this page:

> > /community/

> >

> >

> >