| It does not matter what you eat. Just dont eat a lot, | | | | weight than those who did not. No surprises there. |
| exercise, and your weight will not be a problem. | | | | So, not good news for vegan couch potatoes and a |
| True? Not quite! There is scientific evidence that a | | | | ray of hope for raging carnivores? Well, the simple |
| vegetarian diet keeps that weight down, whereas | | | | message is, whatever you eat, physical activity is |
| meat eaters put it on. What you eat does matter. | | | | part of the weight loss, and health-deal. |
| You know that weight loss is an industry. A | | | | Good health |
| money-making industry with many claims to make: | | | | Health too? Yes, this study is part of a larger |
| Claims of weight loss pills, herbs and juices. Claims of | | | | investigation by EPIC (European Prospective |
| exercise machines and exercise programmes. Claims | | | | Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), comparing |
| of high-fat, no fat or lean diets. Which work? Which | | | | half a million peoples diets in 10 countries to learn how |
| do not? How to find those things that work? It is | | | | diet is linked to cancer. Results from EPICs |
| bewildering. And expensive! | | | | investigation show that diet is a leading cause of |
| The US FDA has warned against the effectiveness | | | | some cancers. |
| of a number of products that are being marketed. | | | | A balanced vegetarian or vegan diet is good for your |
| They include fat or starch blockers, weight loss | | | | health. |
| chewing gum and body wraps. Even weight loss | | | | Take diabetes, often a condition associated with |
| earrings and spectacles are in this list. Perhaps the last | | | | inadequate diet and being over-weight. The EPIC |
| one is effective when your friends wear them to | | | | study has revealed that diabetics carry three times |
| look at you? | | | | the normal risk of developing colo-rectal cancer. |
| By contrast, vegetarians and vegans know what | | | | And a recent Australian study even suggests that a |
| they eat and why they eat it. They save money and | | | | diet that is rich in vegetables and fruit can reduce the |
| lose weight. | | | | effects of asthma attacks. |
| Weight loss of both your body and your wallet? Why | | | | The wider benefits of choosing a vegetarian or |
| not. | | | | vegan diet for weight loss are obvious. |
| Vegetarian food production is inherently cheaper than | | | | But perhaps youd still rather take the easy way out |
| that of meat. Just like a high fibre vegetarian diet | | | | and continue to eat meat. Meat perhaps that has |
| goes through your system faster, the vegetarian | | | | been engineered for your health? |
| food production chain is short compared to that of | | | | Voila! Researchers at Harvard University have now |
| growing meat. Growing animals for meat is after all | | | | engineered pigs to produce healthy forms of bacon, |
| energy-intensive, time-consuming and expensive. | | | | ham and pork crackling. |
| For instance, it takes five kilograms of grain to | | | | Three little pigs were genetically modified to carry |
| produce one kilogram of beef. It is that concentrated | | | | Omega 3-converting genes of a nematode worm. |
| energy that you eat. And its not high-fibre. | | | | This gives the meat of these three little research |
| Short production cycles are better for the planet and | | | | pigs the benefits of fats and oils found in fish and |
| shorter digestive processes are better for you. | | | | vegetables! |
| Perhaps you do not even need special low calorie | | | | Talk about a long production process to get the |
| vegetarian recipes to lose weight. A vegetarian or | | | | same benefits from plants that take a fraction of the |
| vegan diet appears to be a recipe for weight loss in | | | | energy and time to produce. |
| itself! At least it represents an excellent start. | | | | Im telling no porky: before long pigs will fly But do |
| Consider the latest research. | | | | you want to eat them? |
| Vegetarian and vegan diets work | | | | Get motivated |
| Recent British scientific research is based on a study | | | | Weight loss may be your focus but you can see that |
| of 22,000 people who were followed over five years. | | | | its achievement is connected to a holistic picture, |
| All participants put on weight over that time. | | | | including your health and that of the world we live in. |
| However, meat eaters who changed to a vegetarian | | | | That is why you could say that many vegetarians |
| diet gained the least weight. | | | | and vegans are socially responsible eaters. |
| Prof Tim Keys, who led this study for the University | | | | Perhaps that insight will give you the motivation to |
| of Oxford and Cancer Research UK, obtained | | | | become a vegetarian or vegan: to lose weightand to |
| interesting results that are contrary to popular beliefs. | | | | discover a whole new world! |
| His study is published in the Journal of Obesity. | | | | Of course some people have medical conditions that |
| He said: Contrary to current popular views that a diet | | | | cause them to be over weight. It would be foolish to |
| low in carbohydrates and high in protein keeps weight | | | | recommend a vegetarian diet as a miracle cure in |
| down, we found that the lowest weight gain came in | | | | those instances. But in all other cases of being over |
| people with high intake of carbohydrates and low | | | | weight there is one over-riding thing that you need: |
| intake of protein. | | | | motivation. |
| The study involved meat eaters, fish eaters, | | | | If you know why you want to lose weight you will |
| vegetarians and vegans. On average the entire | | | | do it. Motivation is everything. The evidence is in on |
| human sample population gained 2 kilos over the five | | | | effectiveness of vegetarian diets with respect to |
| years and none of them were overweight. The less | | | | weight loss. |
| consumption of animal products, the less weight was | | | | If you also know that you are doing your body and |
| gained, leaving the vegans on top, with vegetarians | | | | the planet a favour by losing weight through |
| runners-up. | | | | vegetarian or vegan diets then what are you waiting |
| And the bit about exercising then? Well, its part of a | | | | for? |
| holistic picture it seems. The study also found that | | | | Its over to you! |
| those who became more physically active gained less | | | | |