Question 2
2. Would you suggest to a client that they begin a vegetarian diet for weight loss?
posted by Michela Fyler @ 6:27 PM
18 comments
ISU Dietetic Internship Journal Club
Objective: To become familiar with current scientific literature on a variety of nutrition topics and to gain experience in gathering, organizing, critically evaluating, presenting and facilitating group discussion of the literature and the implications to practice.
18 Comments:
I would not suggest a vegetarian diet for weight loss unless the client wanted to become vegetarian. I think if the client is not vegetarian or had no desires to be it would be more effective to educate on benefits and the downside to some meats, better meat choices as far as decreasing fat in the diet, and ways to prepare meats, portion sizes, etc. If vegetarianism is not the clients lifestyle it is going to be difficult for them to take out meat and still get adequate nutrition especially if they don't want to be vegetarian. A vegetarian diet doesn't necessarily mean lots of whole grains fruit and vegetables for some people they could take out meat and have a diet high in cheese, baked goods, and french fries. Education place a huge part and I think that weight loss can be achieved on a meat full or meat less diet.
I think that it could be good to educate a client on the vegetarian diet if they are interested, but I do not believe the diet is a solution to weight loss, therefore would not push it on anyone. One can still overeat or eat unhealthy on a vegetarian diet. A client would still need weight loss education if they wanted to become vegetarian.
I think promoting vegetarianism as a weight loss diet to people who are not really interested in becoming vegetarian for any other reason puts it in the same category as Atkins, or South Beach, or any of the other fad diets. It restrictions a whole category of food for one purpose only and could be very difficult to stick with. I support efforts to promote the benefits of vegetarianism, but I think it takes on negative connotations when described as a weight loss diet.
I would generally not recommend a vegetarian diet for weight loss. I think that many people choose to eat meat because they enjoy it. I don’t think eliminating meat from a diet would result in easy weight loss. I would rather suggest reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity. If the client voices that they would like to try and be a vegetarian, I would counsel them on what foods to eat to keep nutrients balanced and also reduce caloric intake.
Kathy-
I definetly agree with your comment about not restricting food. Many people try and stick with such strict diets and try and eliminate food they love. This usually results in the person craving those foods and ending the diet.
No. I think people fail on a diet because of restrictions. If they like meat then you need to incorporate that into their diet plan along with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, beans and nuts. As long as they are eating nutrient dense foods and achieving a calorie deficit then success will most likely follow.
While I think it is fun to see that we are all on the same page. While I do not feel it is the best idea, I am hoping that someone goes out on a limb and says yes. Some restriction diets do work, if only for a short time.
I would not recommend a vegetarian diet for weight loss to anyone that wasn't interested in becoming a vegetarian. You can tell a person the benefits all day long but until they want to make a change they most likely will not. What I would do is recommend that people increase their servings of fruits and vegetables, discuss proper portion sizes, and recommend daily physical activity. I think if there are other health issues such as high cholesterol or heart problems I may lean towards discussing a vegetarian diet and the possible weight loss that may occur but I would still discuss other options for weight loss.
Kathy, I think you make a really good point about vegetarian diets seeming like other fad diets to those who are not interested in doing it. For example, my dad would starve if he had to cut meat out of his diet. He would blow it off in a heartbeat where as if he was educated on portion sizes, more fruit and veggies, and physical activity, he may be more willing to try.
I would absolutely not suggest a client take on a vegetarian diet for weight loss. Vegetarianism is a lifestyle adjustment that many people may not be willing to partake in, or have the knowledge to properly do so. However, I think instruction on how to reduce meat to proper portion sizes and pick lean cuts can often play a huge role in successful weight loss.
Brooke,
You bring up some good points. Educating clients on a vegetariant diet if they are interested or have questions is definitely a great role we as health professionals can play. I also like that you bring up the fact that a vegetarian diet can still be very fatty and unhealthy which is another misconception individuals may have.
I may suggest trying to consume more vegetarian meals, but I would not encourage a vegetarian diet to an individual striving to lose weight. The purpose of consuming more vegetarian meals would be to enhance the amount of servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains consumed. I firmly believe that "giving up" certain foods as part of a diet (such as dairy, meat, eggs) will not lead to a successful weight loss journey.
Kathy I like how you added that going vegetarian could fall under the "fad diet" category. Restricting food groups is never a good choice if its not something the individual can maintain and not feel deprived.
Amanda, I agree with you in that stressing high fruits and vegetables and whole grains is a great step toward maintaining or losing weight and those things from a vegetarian diet would be good to point out to people, not necessarily vegetarianism itself.
I would not suggest a vegetarian diet for weight loss. I may suggest eating a few meatless meals per week for general health and to add variety into a diet. I think that a vegetarian diet can be heavy in fat from dairy products and high in simple CHO if the person is not careful. Being a healthy vegetarian takes planning and someone trying to lose weight may find to many hard changes involved when you add removing meat to the list.
Tiffany-
Excellent point. A reduction on portion sizes should be stressed. Also explaining how to pick leaner pieces of meat is very important.
I agree with everyone that is saying to focus on reducing portion sizes while emphasizing whole grains, fruits, and vegetables for weight loss. I like the idea of recommending meatless meals without necessarily calling them vegetarian... people will probably be more receptive of them that way!
Kevin,I definitely agree with you about people failing diets because of the restrictions. I think the word "diet" in general to the public often means restricting, while we all know that "diet" can simply describe our lifestyle eating patterns.
I thought it would be interesting to look up the definition of diet and I wanted to share the results. I found both of these:
"food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health"
"such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight"
While the first one doesn't mention restriction at all, the second one specifically states "limitation". I think that it is important to stress to clients that we do not have to severely limit or restrict our diets in order to loose weight. I also believe that "diet" as the public views it is a temporary, quick solution to weight loss. But we need to explain that weight loss is about a lifestyle change that needs to practiced as long as we live. It is about learning the importance of nutritious food choices and practicing the skills of self-control and portioning.
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