The Dark Side Of Vegetarianism

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that twice as many teens and almost twice as many young people who are vegetarians use unhealthy methods to regulate their weight compared to those who have never been vegetarians.. These include the use of diet pills, laxatives and diuretics, and inducing vomiting to control weight.

There is also a downside to vegetarianism, says Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale Medical University.

"The young vegetarians in the study are more prone to irregular eating and eating disorders," Katz said. -a few healthy methods.

Vegetarianism or eating mostly plant foods can be recommended to all young people. But when teens choose vegetarianism themselves, it's important to understand why, because it can be a signal of help rather than health care.” says Katz.

According to him, a balanced vegetarian diet is among the healthiest dietary methods and the study shows some of its benefits.

Adolescents who are vegetarians are less likely to be overweight than their peers who eat any food. In addition, they are more likely to have better blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating mostly plants or even the plants alone are healthy and certainly far better than typical American food.”

The researcher leading the study, Ramona Robinson-O'Brien, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at St. Benedict College and St. John's University, supports this thesis.

"The majority of adolescents and young people today will benefit from advances in nutrition." she says. The study clearly shows that vegetarians among participants are generally less likely to be overweight or obese.

However, current vegetarians may be at increased risk of overeating, while former vegetarians may be at increased risk of extreme unhealthy weight control methods,”says the specialist.

"Physicians and nutritionists guiding young vegetarians may reconsider the potential benefits associated with a healthy vegetarian diet and should recognize the possibility of an increased risk of irregular eating and behavior."

The researchers collected data on 2,516 teenagers and young people who took part in a study called the NUTRITION-II Project: Nutrition among Teenagers. They ranked participants as current, former and non-vegetarians and divided them into two age groups: teenagers (15 to 18 years) and youth (19-23 years).

Each participant was asked about overeating, whether he felt a loss of control over eating habits, and whether he used extreme weight control measures.

About 21% of teens who are vegetarians say they have used unhealthy methods to control their weight, compared to 10% of teens who have never been vegetarians. Among young people, more former vegetarians (27%) used such measures than current vegetarians (16%) or those who had never been vegetarians (15%), the study shows.

In addition, among teenagers, overeating and loss of control over eating habits occur in 21% of current and 16% of former vegetarians and only 4% of those who have never followed a vegetarian diet. Among young people, more vegetarians (18%) reported overeating with a loss of control than former vegetarians (9%) and those who had never been vegetarians (5%).

Young vegetarians are less likely to be overweight or obese than those who have never been vegetarian. Among teens, the study found no statistically significant difference in weight.

"When teaching teens and young adults proper nutrition and meal planning, it's important to know the potential health benefits and risks of a vegetarian diet," says Robinson-O'Brien. motives for choosing a vegetarian diet and assess the risk of unhealthy eating behavior.