A scientific review in April’s Nutrition Reviews shows that a vegetarian diet is highly effective for weight loss. Vegetarian populations tend to be slimmer than meat-eaters, and they experience lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other life-threatening conditions linked to overweight and obesity. The new review, compiling data from 87 previous studies, shows the weight-loss effect does not depend on exercise or calorie-counting, and it occurs at a rate of approximately 1 pound per week.
Rates of obesity in the general population are skyrocketing, while in vegetarians, obesity prevalence ranges from 0 percent to 6 percent, note study authors Susan E. Berkow, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Neal D. Barnard, M.D., of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
The authors found that the body weight of both male and female vegetarians is, on average, 3 percent to 20 percent lower than that of meat-eaters. Vegetarian and vegan diets have also been put to the test in clinical studies, as the review notes. The best of these clinical studies isolated the effects of diet by keeping exercise constant. The researchers found that a low-fat vegan diet leads to weight loss of about 1 pound per week, even without additional exercise or limits on portion sizes, calories, or carbohydrates.
“Our research reveals that people can enjoy unlimited portions of high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight without feeling hungry,” says Dr. Berkow, the lead author.
“There is evidence that a vegan diet causes an increased calorie burn after meals, meaning plant-based foods are being used more efficiently as fuel for the body, as opposed to being stored as fat,” says Dr. Barnard. Insulin sensitivity is increased by a vegan diet, allowing nutrients to more rapidly enter the cells of the body to be converted to heat rather than to fat.
Earlier this month, a team of researchers led by Tim Key of Oxford University found that meat-eaters who switched to a plant-based diet gained less weight over a period of five years. Papers reviewed by Drs. Berkow and Barnard include several published by Dr. Key and his colleagues, as well as a recent study of more than 55,000 Swedish women showing that meat-eaters are more likely to be overweight than vegetarians and vegans.
From PCRM
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This is so true. The first month that i went vegetarian i, already a pretty small girl, went from 125 to 110 pounds… a 15 pound loss and that was without exercise– simply just by making fruits and veggies my main food groups. crazy but i feel so much healthier.
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Ola! Scienceblog,
Thanks for the above, Being a vegetarian can be quite good in that you have a select group of foods which don’t traditionally cause weight gain. Most vegetables are actually low in carbohydrates which are fibrous carbohydrates that are good for your digestive system. So any vegetarian diet plan that excludes anything but fruits and vegetables is likely to succeed.
I look forward to your next post
T.Cornett
I weighed 135 before I became vegetarian and I was already super skinny and in a year I’ve lost 10 pounds and there is like no way for me to get it back lol well… I could work out and get some muscle but i’m lazy…
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i am so fat so i trying your advice to loose my weight
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Yes! Vegetarian diets helps in Losing weight. In fact its the healthy diet for New moms to reduce their pregnancy weight and good tip to lose weight without exercise.
I recently changed to a vegan diet 5/30/11 for health reasons (high cholesterol for the last decade). Not only has my cholseterol dropped from 230 to 185 in less than 5 months but I have dropped more than 20 lbs and went from tight 34 inch pants to loose 32s. I am not 100% vegan, I do cheat a little with cheese and I have not eliminated all oils (as some diets suggest). One comment though, as Satish says you are saving money, I don’t find that to be the case, although I am not buying expensive cuts of beef or fish, some of the other specialty items to support a vegan diet are making up and possibly exceding what I was spending before. But who can put a pricetag on health.
It surprises me that you don’t see a savings in your grocery bill since you stopped eating meat. My bill was cut in half. I think maybe it could be because I don’t shop at the health food store. Sometimes I go just for fun to look around and I will treat myself to the odd thing, but I couldn’t afford to go all the time. All my veggie burgers are scratch and my hummus is homemade and I don’t think I have opened a can of soup in ten years. Everything is from the ordinary supermarket. Indian stores are the best. Every kind of cheap bean and spice you could want. I spend thirty dollars a week on my food. I couldn’t do that if I ate meat, no way. But it does take a little time in the kitchen, but it is so worth it.
Congrats Peter on your health… I was diagnosed with Crohn’s diesease in my mid twenties…There was no way I was going to do those horrid drugs with god awful side effects…I changed my diet and improved my digestive tract by 80%..Once in a while (due to stress) I get a little sick, but had I not changed my diet years ago I sure by now without a doubt I would have a colostomy bag….Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat… Good for you Peter. :0)
I lost half my body weight when I became a vegeterian for 7 months I lost 100 lbs I didn’t even realise I was losing so much I still ate my. Carbs and had lots of soya products
I just became a vegetarian like 4 days ago. And i need to know what to eat. Can you give me like a eating plan? Please.
Hi Alexis
I’m proud of your descision to become a vegetarian. I myself have been a vegetarian for 7 months, as of yesterday (1-21-12) And i’m very proud of myself. Within’ the first few months I dropped ten pounds, but now i’m on a plateau because i do indulge in sweets ALOT. & it prevents me from losing any sort of weight. It kinda sucks because being 16, it’s IN to be fit.
I’m not. lol.
Anyways.
I don’t have a specific eating plan, but I make sure to have my mom buy Veggie Burgers. I eat them constantly &it’s an easy way to get protein. Theyre a little expensive, but deffinatly worth it. I have a problem with not getting enough protein & it makes me very weak and tired & i also loose my hair alot. (not alot of it though)
You can find plans easily on the internet. but make sure you get LOTS of protein.
Good luck!
-Shaylee
didnt know going vegan could help lose weight maybe i should try it out. thanks for the info
I have also heard about several success stories where people who switched to vegan diet lost weight without exercise. By eating a plant-based diet, you are not only saving money but also get antioxidants that help you lose weight. Also, a vegetarian diet tends to be low in calories and saturated fat.
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