Question 3
3. Do you agree with this statement, why or why not? People who are vegetarians have more health awareness compared to the general public. It may be this awareness towards health that gives them a lower BMI rather than the actual vegetarian diet itself.
posted by Michela Fyler @ 6:27 PM
14 comments
14 Comments:
I do not complete agree or disagree with this statement. I feel that some people who choose to be vegetarian do their research, ask questions and through this are more aware. I also think that there are people who decide to be vegetarians and don't get educated on sources of protein, etc, and do not add new food into their diet they simply just take out the meat. Those that do educate themselves or ask questions and get help so that we can educate them do have greater health awareness which I don't doubt is a factor of their healthy weight. I do not necessarily think that taking out meat and fish in their diet has given them a healthier weight but their interest in health and getting adequate nutrition itself is a reflection of their healthy BMI.
I do somewhat agree this the statement, but I feel in certain instances an individual can be vegetarian and still make the wrong choices. Not all vegetarians chose the diet for healthful reasons. Some choose to be vegetarian because of animal rights or other personal beliefs unrelated to health. I do agree that individuals who are health aware may be more likely to have a lower BMI and that many people who choose to be vegetarian could be more health conscious than an average individual. Although just because someone is vegetarian does not mean they are health aware.
I have to agree with this statement. I think the health awareness aspect is more likely the cause of a lower BMI than simply being vegetarian. It really depends on what the person's motivation was to become vegetarian and how much they are willing to educate themselves on a healthy diet, but I think many people who chose to be vegetarian also make other healthly lifestyle choices that impact BMI.
I would have to partly disagree with this statement. From experience, I know individuals who are vegetarians because they just do not like the taste of meat, not because they are very aware of health. However, individuals that have made a conscious effort to eliminate meat from their meals for possible health benefits are probably more health aware than some people. I believe that there could be many vegetarians that might consume large amounts of calories (say from sweets or French fries) that might have higher BMI. On the other hand, some vegetarians that are making some unhealthy choices might just be built having a faster metabolism. You cannot contribute this statement to all vegetarians.
I believe this is more true than false. I don’t believe it is true across the board however. I have asked my 35 year old vegetarian cousin where she gets protein from. She told me that vegetables are packed with protein and have about the same amount as meat. While she is misinformed or a little confused and does not exercise, her BMI would still be concidered in the normal range. Maybe it is something in the meat, a hormone or something that causes the difference or the extra weight.
Kevin, tell us that you educated your cousin on protein or at the least gave her a can of beans :) I think that this is a great questions Michela, and a big theme in the answers as well as some of your other questions answers is education! as Kevin mention in another comment- that is where we come in!
I do think that many adult vegetarians have more health awareness than the general public. Many vegetarians that I have met choose to be vegetarians for health reasons so they have done their research to understand how to have a nutritionally complete diet. I'm sure there are vegetarians who make poor choices but I do think that the majority has more health awareness.
I do not think this can be made as a general statement. I feel that many individuals who are vegetarians will go out of their way to educate themselves on how to properly supplement their new diet, especially those who are doing so for health related reasons. However, as a whole this statement is not entirely true. There will still be the individuals who don't know a lot about their nutrition or health, but just stop eating meat products for various reasons.
This statement holds both truths and false claims. It depends on the individual's reasons and motivations for becoming vegetarian. Someone with strong values on health may choose to avoid red meat and have a higher intake of fish, eggs, and whole grains. However, we all know some vegetarians have diets high in cheeses, processed foods, and calories. Although it was not indicated in this study, some individuals may be vegetarians not for health reasons but for environmental, spiritual, or other motivating factors.
I do agree with statement to a point. Most vegetarians are very health aware but there is a small percent that have no idea what they are doing. Teenagers who are vegetarian often consume a diet high in CHO and Fat and low in fiber. People who have been vegetarians for years often have spent time researching how to eat a balanced diet with out meat and as a result tend to live a healthier life style.
Kathy,
I agree with you that it can depend on their motivation in becoming a vegetarian. I wonder though if over time they also become more aware of what the body actually needs as they research what they need to eat to meet their needs and what their MD tells them.
Kevin-
Thanks for the real life example! Although she was misinformed, she still was making healthy choices. I like your thoughts about the hormones in the meat. Could this possibly be a research topic for you in the future? :)
Jordan, I can relate to what you're saying about vegetarians learning more as they go. I agree that informed vegetarians are probably in the majority, but there's always room for education (because we know how confusing health messages can be!)
Kevin,I like your example and also have one. I know an individual who purposely stopped eating meat in order to "be healthy" and loose weight. When eating out with that individual, I noticed her ordering many fried food products. I wasn't too surprised to hear that she gave up being vegetarian because it was not helping her.
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