Comment by SeanAnderson
2 years ago
> Can’t get so fat and unhealthy.
Why can't someone get as fat and unhealthy with a vegan diet? I'm friends with vegans who eat a LOT of processed foods - Gardein crispy tenders, Carl's Jr. for Beyond Burgers, etc.
> And far healthier since most vegans and vegetarians live long and healthy lives compared to other groups.
How much of this is attributable to a specific diet vs highlighting that those who care about what they eat generally perform better?
> Why can't someone get as fat and unhealthy with a vegan diet?
Don’t know about “unhealthy”, but “fat” is actually less likely, according to a research:
“our results suggest that self-identified semivegetarian, lactovegetarian, and vegan women have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than do omnivorous women. The advice to consume more plant foods and less animal products may help individuals control their weight.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000291652...
In a society where these diets buck the norm, I expect some of this effect is just from paying more attention to what one eats. It's a major mechanism behind lots of restrictive diets working for weight loss—paying more attention to food helps all on its own.
I bet there are people out there who eat semi-vegetarian diets basically by accident, who wouldn't think to label themselves semi-vegetarian, and that the beneficial effect is less pronounced among them.
I bet people on carnivore diet are less fat also. The key variable is “caring about your diet”, not whether or not you are eating plants or animals.
I'm not listening to a "scientific article" written by someone who doesn't know the difference between less and fewer.