Vegetarian diet associated with worse health: study

[w1z4rd]

The research, published in PloS One, found that even though vegetarians had a lower Body Mass Index and drank less alcohol, they tended to have poor health, a higher need for healthcare, and poorer quality of life in general.

According to the results of the study, "Overall, vegetarians are in a poorer state of health compared to the other dietary habit groups. Concerning self-reported health, vegetarians differ significantly from each of the other groups, toward poorer health.

"Moreover, these subjects report higher levels of impairment from disorders. Vegetarians additionally report more chronic diseases than those eating a carnivorous diet less rich in meat.

"Significantly more vegetarians suffer from allergies, cancer, and mental health ailments (anxiety, or depression) than the other dietary habit groups," the researchers wrote.

According to the study vegetarians tend to vaccinate less often, and get less make use of preventive check-ups less frequently.

The study also found that vegetarians tend to have worse quality of life when it comes to health, and social relationships.

Carnivores shouldn't get too smug though, as "subjects who eat a carnivorous diet rich in meat more often report urinary incontinence".

http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2014/04/04/vegetarian-diet-associated-with-worse-health-study

Ive always wondered why some of the the vegans (I know) looks like sickly pale wraiths. As pointed out, too much meat is also bad. This is why the best advice is have a balanced diet. Too much meat and too little is bad for you.

 

[RandomDesign]

http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2014/04/04/vegetarian-diet-associated-with-worse-health-study

Ive always wondered why some of the the vegans (I know) looks like sickly pale wraiths. As pointed out, too much meat is also bad. This is why the best advice is have a balanced diet. Too much meat and too little is bad for you.

did you look at the study? doesn't look like there was any control of the diets. someone can live on doughnuts and cake and call themselves vegetarian, be selected for study...

 

[w1z4rd]

did you look at the study? doesn't look like there was any control of the diets. someone can live on doughnuts and cake and call themselves vegetarian, be selected for study...

I read the introduction. Could you be clear on what you mean there was no control on any of the diets, and quote the part of the study that that is relevant to.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Humans are NOT herbivores, it's as simple as that... People may choose to be vegetarians for many reasons and that's up to them but please stop kidding yourselves that it's healthy.

 

[RandomDesign]

I read the introduction. Could you be clear on what you mean there was no control on any of the diets, and quote the part of the study that that is relevant to.

I mean the study seemed to take participant's word on what they were eating, they were not following set or monitored eating plans.

Concerning eating behavior, the respondents were
given a list of six different dietary habits and asked which one
describes their eating behavior best (1=vegan, 2=vegetarian
eating milk/eggs, 3=vegetarian eating fish and/or milk/eggs,
4=carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables, 5=carnivorous
diet less rich in meat, 6=carnivorous diet rich in meat).

Participants described their dietary habit, without interviewers
giving a clear definition of the various eating categories. Since,
overall, only 2.2% of all participants consumed a vegetarian diet,
these individuals were analyzed as one dietary habit group

motivation for being studied is usually cash right? if I were hard up for cash I wouldn't have a problem saying I eat cockroaches for snacks if a study seemed to want to hear that as an answer.
very small veg sample too?

to be clear(er), I'm not disputing that proper veggies do lack nutrition. oral condition is usually

 

[Sherbang]

I read the introduction. Could you be clear on what you mean there was no control on any of the diets, and quote the part of the study that that is relevant to.

I think he means they didn't analyse the actual foods they were eating. The vegetarians could have been living on doughnuts and cake, so obviously then their health would suffer.

They divided the carnivores into three groups:
- a carnivorous diet with lots of fruits and vegetables
- a carnivorous diet less rich in meat
- a carnivorous diet rich in meat

They divided the vegetarians into 3 groups:
- pure vegetarians
- vegetarians consuming milk and eggs
- vegetarians consuming fish and/or eggs and milk

However, because the three vegetarian diet groups included a rather small number of persons, they were analyzed as one dietary habit group and were matched with an individual of each other dietary habit group

However, they don't ever specify or analyse what foods the vegetarian part of the vegetarian diets consisted of.
It's well known that vegetarians need to eat a varied diet to get all the nutrition they need.
Was their diet high in fruit and vegetables? etc

From the research they say:

Overall, 15474 individuals, aged 15 years and older, were questioned in computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI; 54.7% female; response rate: 63.1%).

While 0.2% of the interviewees were pure vegetarians (57.7% female),
0.8% reported to be vegetarians consuming milk and eggs (77.3% female), and 1.2% to be vegetarians consuming fish and/or eggs and milk (76.7% female).

23.6% reported to combine a carnivorous diet with lots of fruits and vegetables (67.2% female), 48.5% to eat a carnivorous diet less rich in meat (60.8% female), and 25.7% a carnivorous diet rich in meat (30.1% female). Since the three vegetarian diet groups included a rather small number of persons (N = 343), they were analyzed as one dietary habit group. Moreover, since the vegetarian group was the smallest, we decided to match each of the vegetarians (1) with an individual of each other dietary habit group (carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables (2), carnivorous diet less rich in meat (3) and a carnivorous rich in meat (4)).

 

[w1z4rd]

motivation for being studied is usually cash right? if I were hard up for cash I wouldn't have a problem saying I eat cockroaches for snacks if a study seemed to want to hear that as an answer.
very small veg sample too?

This bit is not realistic.

 

[Picard]

It's easier to have a mainly meat and starch diet.

You have to become too creative to have a vegetarian diet meet your needs. Most people don't have the time and/or creativity for that.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I'm struggling to understand whether or not this study is out to claim that vegetarianism is the cause of these problems? It certainly seems that way.

Yet, most people I've known with allergies have had them their entire lives--carnivorous diet or not.

I've never had allergies in my life and I've been a vegetarian nigh on seven years.

And the health issues I'm aware of having I've had since before I ever became a vegetarian.

It could also be argued that, for many of the people in the study, their health issues were part of the reason they became vegetarian.

In fact, skimming through the study to provide an answer granted me the following:

Therefore, no statements can be made whether the poorer health in vegetarians in our study is caused by their dietary habit or if they consume this form of diet due to their poorer health status.

This study is therefore, in my eyes, null and void and the article is written in a sensationalist way to try and elicit the belief the vegetarianism causes these problems.

 

[shogun]

I'm struggling to understand whether or not this study is out to claim that vegetarianism is the cause of these problems? It certainly seems that way.

Yet, most people I've known with allergies have had them their entire lives--carnivorous diet or not.

I've never had allergies in my life and I've been a vegetarian nigh on seven years.

And the health issues I'm aware of having I've had since before I ever became a vegetarian.

It could also be argued that, for many of the people in the study, their health issues were part of the reason they became vegetarian.

In fact, skimming through the study to provide an answer granted me the following:



This study is therefore, in my eyes, null and void and the article is written in a sensationalist way to try and elicit the belief the vegetarianism causes these problems.

^ this post

 

[satanboy]

I am allergic to meat...what now?

 

[saor]

did you look at the study? doesn't look like there was any control of the diets. someone can live on doughnuts and cake and call themselves vegetarian, be selected for study...

A lot of vegetarians consume high amounts of soy-based products and also eat a lot of sweets so I'd also like to know what their diets consisted of. Vegetarian ≠ healthy diet. It just means they don't eat meat. It says nothing about the rest of their diet.

 

[tRoN]

I am allergic to meat...what now?

No such thing. How is this possible?

 

[STS]

Do we need to explain science to Ghoti again? The Weather Lord sure seems to "know" a lot of people.

 

[absynth]

- vegetarians consuming fish

That is not a vegetarian.That would be a pescatarian.

Been a Vegetarian for a long time and feel fit as a fiddle.

 

[Spizz]

Fail study is fail. I mean ffs, it's not uncommon to meet vegetarians who don't like vegetables. Just like people who think free range meat means it's raised and killed ethically. 'I only buy from Woolies' lololololol. In Scotland where I'm from, it's common to come across vegetarians who live on chips, pizza, chocolate and crisps etc. Doesn't make them healthy.

Knowing about nutrition and what you are eating is a different story however whether it be meat or not. Have a look at these dudes for example....

http://www.animalequality.net/news/615/5-athletes-you-would-never-think-are-vegan

I've been edging towards becoming a vegan recently and it's because I think I've become more educated on nutrition and how to maximise and utilise my food properly.

Watch...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks_over_Knives

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat,_Sick_and_Nearly_Dead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegucated

..... with an open mind and see how you feel about veggies being unhealthy. They are all on Netflix btw.

 

[HavocXphere]

And now for an entirely unscientific argument:

 

[Pooky]

Every time I eat meat I feel bad.

 

[noxibox]

Any flaws in this study are exactly the same as those in studies that claim red meat is bad, salt is unhealthy, fruit juice is harmful, having a BMI over 25 leads to early death and so on.

I've been edging towards becoming a vegan recently and it's because I think I've become more educated on nutrition and how to maximise and utilise my food properly.

That's amazing considering that we're finding that almost everything we thought we knew about food and diet is actually wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks_over_Knives

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat,_Sick_and_Nearly_Dead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegucated

..... with an open mind and see how you feel about veggies being unhealthy. They are all on Netflix btw.

They're advocacy films. If you want to believe what they're selling you're free to do so. I'm sure they're as unbiased as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Moore.

And now for an entirely unscientific argument:

View attachment 110162

Demonstrates the benefits of the Portrait Professional diet.

 

[noxibox]

Every time I eat meat I feel bad.

Then don't eat meat.