Study confirms Vegetarian women are thinner

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Vegetarian women weigh less than meat-eaters

 

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http://news./news?tmpl=story & u=/nm/20050624/hl_nm/veggie_women_dc

 

By Amy Norton Fri Jun 24, 2:33 PM ET

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who eat little or no

meat are less likely to be overweight than their more

carnivorous peers, according to a new study.

 

The findings, say researchers, suggest that replacing

some meat and other animal products with plant-based

fare may help people control their weight.

 

The study of more than 55,000 Swedish women found that

those who identified themselves as vegetarian or vegan

tended to weigh less than meat-eaters, and were less

likely to be overweight or obese.

 

The vegetarian group included women who ate no meat,

fish or eggs but did consume dairy products

(lactovegetarians), as well as " semivegetarians, " who

said they sometimes ate fish or eggs. Vegans eat no

animal products, including dairy.

 

In the study, self-proclaimed vegans were two-thirds

less likely than meat-eaters to be overweight or

obese, while the two vegetarian groups were about half

as likely as meat-eaters to be overweight -- even with

other factors, such as age, exercise and total calorie

intake, taken into account.

 

While this was not a weight-loss study, the findings

do suggest that a plant-based diet may aid in weight

control, according to P. Kirstin Newby, a researcher

at Tufts University in Boston.

 

But that doesn't necessarily mean shunning meat and

other animal products, she told Reuters Health, noting

that semivegetarians in the study had a lower risk of

being overweight.

 

The study, in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition, included 55,459 healthy middle-aged and

older women who were surveyed about their eating

habits, weight and other health and lifestyle factors.

A small percentage identified themselves as vegan or

vegetarian.

 

Overall, vegans had the lowest average body mass index

(BMI) -- a measure of weight in relation to height --

followed by vegetarians, then meat-eaters. While 40

percent of meat-eaters were overweight or obese, only

25 to 29 percent of vegetarians and vegans were, Newby

and her colleagues report.

 

The findings, they point out, run counter to the

current " fad " of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

 

That vegetarians are leaner than meat-eaters,

according to the researchers, highlights the fact that

not all carbohydrates are equal. A diet of fiber-rich

carbs like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, they

note, differs from one loaded with refined

carbohydrates such as those in white bread and snack

foods.

 

" Plant foods are generally high-carb, " Newby said,

" but they also contain a lot of fiber -- which helps

you to feel full -- and they also have other nutrients

that are important to overall health. "

 

Because these nutrients may help ward off heart

disease and cancer, she noted, there are " lots of good

reasons " besides weight control to eat a plant-based

diet.

 

For people who do eat animal products, Newby added,

it's important to limit saturated fat by choosing lean

cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products.

 

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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