Ben Kazie MD

This study is not the first to point to some of the benefits of a vegetarian or vegetarian like diet.  It is clear that excess consumption of animal fats and proteins, along with processed starches, carbohydrates and sugars are contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the United States.  This epidemic brings with it major health related problems including diabetes, heart disease, vascular disease, stroke, and other metabolic effects. Clearly, full fledged vegetarianism is not going to be the mainstream practice of most Americans.  However, it is clear that introducing many of the principles of both vegetarianism and macrobiotic diets can indeed make inroads against obesity and its adverse health effects.  The most effective way to impact dietary change in America is via both education and school lunch programs.  Too often nutritional education is limited and boring, lacking practical application which can stimulate the young to adopt healthy dietary habits early in life.  Also, despite many improvements, too many school lunch programs continue to rely heavily on starches and processed foods, due to many factors, but particular cost constraints.  Dietary changes are critical for all to consider, but most significantly for those at high risk and with poor family health histories . . . ben kazie md

Study indicates vegan, vegetarian diets may protect against obesity, type 2 diabetes
According to a study published in the May issue of the journal Diabetes Care, vegan and vegetarian diets may protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers from Loma Linda University compared the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in people following different types of vegetarian diets vs. that in nonvegetarians, using a study cohort of 22,434 men and 38,469 women. They found that vegans had the lowest BMI, and that there was a progressive increase in BMI with increased content of animal products in the diet. In addition, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes…increased with increasing consumption of animal products: 2.9 % for the vegan diet, 3.2 % for the lacto-ovo diet, 4.8 % for the pesco-vegetarian diet, 6.1 % for the semi-vegetarian diet, and 7.6 % for the nonvegetarian diet.  In fact, compared with nonvegetarians, vegetarians had a lower risk for type 2 diabetes, after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, physical activity, television watching, sleep habits, alcohol use, and BMI.

The two (well, four) most common types of vegetarians are:
Lacto-ovo vegetarians don’t eat beef, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products. (Similarly, lacto vegetarians consume dairy but not eggs while ovo vegetarians eat eggs but don’t consume dairy.)
Vegans consume no animal products or animal by-products. This means no beef, poultry, fish, eggs, or dairy (many vegans also avoid honey). Veganism also extends beyond the diet. Vegans avoid leather, wool, silk, down, etc. Some people use the term strict vegetarian for people who follow a vegan diet but still use animal products in other parts of their lives.

There are also some restrictive subcategories of veganism:
Fruitarians eat raw fruit and seeds only.
Raw/living foodists eat at least 75% uncooked (items may be heated up to 110 degrees), unprocessed, organic fruits and vegetables, with the intention of preserving more vitamins and minerals. There are very few “pure” raw foodists though many people “eat raw” at least occasionally.

Then there are the classifications of vegetarians that aren’t really vegetarians. Their inclusion here does not imply an acceptance of these often confusing, misleading terms, but rather to serve as a reference.
Pesco-vegetarians eat no beef or poultry but do eat fish.
Pollo-vegetarians eat no beef, but do eat poultry.
Semi-vegetarians or Flexitarians eat “less” meat than “most people”

A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek “macro” (large, long) and “bios” (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also addresses the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.

Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes – http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/5/791.abstract?sid=864bc3fd-1de1-431b-bb38-15ebf5feb490

Vegetarian Diets May Protect Against Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes – http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/702782

Pescetarianism – the practice of a diet that includes seafood & excludes mammals & birds. In addition to fish or shellfish, a pescetarian diet typically includes some or all of vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, & dairy – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarianism

Classifications of Vegetarians – http://www.vegblog.org/archive/2004/10/26/classifications-of-vegetarians/

Macrobiotic diet – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobiotic_diet

http://www.llu.edu/public-health/health/abstracts/abstracts2.page