Vegetarians found more unhealthy. Interesting article.

SkulkyLou · April 2014

OOh. That's interesting, I was a lifelong veggie too and now occasionally eat seafood. I just occasionally crave it. I always thought it was strange to crave something I'd never eaten, Was it the same for you?

Dewymorning · April 2014

Anecdotal evidence incoming:

One of my mum's neighbors was a vegetarian for years.

Then she started running, and she started getting massive cravings for meat.

So she is back to being an omnivore.

FlaxMilk · April 2014

I guess this settles it. Clearly getting smashed in 100% of opportunities is at the top of every female's priority list.

If we are posting pictures to debate this thread, someone should ask Sara to join in.

Anyway, there are people who eat in balanced and unbalanced ways in every diet-vegan, veggie, paleo, primal, plain old omnivore.

Eating in what would be out of sync for me would be harder on my mental health. I'm not going to lie though; even if I were shown 100% conclusive evidence that I could be healthier eating an omnivore diet, I still wouldn't. None of us make it out alive, we all sacrifice perfect health somewhere along the way in the name of quality of life. Some people are thrill seekers, I avoid bacon.

RunBakeLove · April 2014

But is it any worse than Atkins people trying to get everyone to stop eating carbs? Or people who are all about the protein telling vegetarians or vegans that there is no way they can survive on "so little protein"? Or missionaries or other devout religious folks who tell me I'm damned for whatever reasons they have? (Not trying to open a can of worms, just being devil's advocate here!)

Every time I said no to an offering of food with "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian"...people would IMMEDIATELY start to justify their choice to eat meat. They assumed there was judgement there and that I was trying to get them to come to the "better side." When I wasn't. It was a personal choice that worked for me at the time. People are hyper sensitive about this subject and can create things that aren't there, I've noticed.

Lives2Travel · April 2014

Out of curiosity, why qualify your "No thanks"? If someone offers me a vegetable that I don't want to eat, I don't say "No thanks, I'm an Omnivore". I just leave it at "No thanks". Just like when someone offers me a slab of chocolate cake I don't say "No thanks, I'm on a diet". What does that accomplish other than imply that I'm "better" than they are based on my choice to forgo cake. I'm not saying that is your intent at all, but perhaps your need to qualify your statement is the reason people respond by getting defensive?

hilly510 · April 2014

I'm not the person you asked but thought I'd give my 2 cents. I usually don't qualify, I'll politely decline but I'll be with family or my boyfriend and THAT person will pipe up and say "She's a vegetarian!" I've also just had people notice my eating habits and when I decline meat they ask "So what? Are you a vegetarian?" In general people just get very defensive when vegetarians come around because they've had exposure to a whack job vegan or vegetarian and think we're all like that.

jmv7117 · April 2014

I liken this to the trend that those who have an alternate gender preference simply have to let you know within the first couple of sentences after meeting them. The work around is instead of saying "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian" simply say "No thanks." You do not need to justify your food choices or make excuses for them. Then it doesn't become a huge topic of discussion and if the person offering pushes, simply change the topic. Works for me :flowerforyou:

sarahbethhouser · April 2014

Quoting fail.

Wanted to give thumbs up to confirmation bias comment.

lthames0810 · April 2014

Lives2Travel · April 2014

I think you're 100% correct. People who militantly espouse causes (a particular diet, a certain religion, a political viewpoint) have made us hyper sensitive to certain buzz words. And I'm like you, I don't qualify. Nothing good comes of it and the last thing I want to do is be perceived as someone who thinks their choices are superior to those of others. I say do what works for you in your life and don't push that on others.

bcattoes · April 2014

I don't understand this post at all, but I think it does demonstrate the hypersensitivity the previous poster mentioned.

Why owuld one infer "No thanks, I'm on a diet" as saying "I'm better than you". I would infer it as "I'm trying to stick to my calorie goal so please don't offer me any more cake."**

Likewise, saying "No thanks, I'm vegetarian" may simply be a means to let the offerer know that no meat is wanted, lest they offer an alternative thinking the person simply doesn't like whateve meat was offered.

While it's true that one is not obligated to justify their food choices, doing so certainly doesn't always mean they are saying "I'm better than you".

** for those hyper-sensitive to the word "diet", please do not infer my response to mean that everyone on a diet should not want cake. In this example, we already know the subject does not want cake and the reason is a diet.

scrittrice · April 2014

Maybe the lesson is that we should all be snorting cocaine:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/03/nigella-lawson-stopped-boarding-flight-us-cocaine-confession

JustinAnimal · April 2014

I've wanted to chime in for a while, especially with an incredibly strong and healthy vegetarian wife, but I've decided I'll probably just get shouted down by those darn paleo folk and everyone else who is seeming to hate on vegetarians. I truly don't understand how you can demonize one group for cutting out one food group (and also assuming they eat massive dairy and are unhealthy in that respect, too), yet whatever you want to cut out is gold. Studies, studies, studies...

Anyway, my point is that this poster NAILED IT! I read the first two paragraphs and wondered about what kind of awful, stupid, repetitive, unnecessary responses will she get. But the footnote, hopefully, was so well-worded it hopefully prevented those from happening. Well-phrased, sir or ma'am, and way to predict those responses.

Cortelli · April 2014

Ahhaahahahahahaahaa! My kids are looking at me funny -- "why the hell is dad laughing out loud . . . and why does he continue to giggle at the computer screen?"

stef_monster · April 2014

I think the study is interesting, but I wish they would have been more specific- how long the subjects had been eating said diets, WHY they followed said diets, whether or not they exercised and what kind/ how often, and broken down the results by socioeconomic status. Maybe thrown in education as a factor, too.

A few previous posters suggested that the people who adopted vegetarian diets were already unhealthy, and were looking to improve their health through diet. I think this is entirely plausible. I also know it's common for people with eating disorders to adopt a vegetarian/ vegan lifestyle to make it easier to turn down food without seeming to have disordered attitudes toward food.

I like the idea of this study, I just wish it was more detailed.

Personally, I've been a vegetarian for about 5 years now. I always joke that I'm a 'bad vegetarian' because I still eat eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt, chicken and beef broth/ stock, and an occasional bite of seafood. I was one of those people looking to improve my health by eliminating certain things from my diet- beef, pork, and milk give me SERIOUS digestive issues (cramps, bloating, tying up the bathroom all day, etc). So I quit eating them, and I feel awesome. I have more energy to fuel my workouts, my skin is clear, and I have less grogginess and mind fog when I first wake up. It is extra 'work' to get all my nutrition in. My diet is kind of my hobby. However, I've tried so many different foods and learned so much about nutrition over the past 5 years, it's worth a little extra time to research and plan my meals. I'm the healthiest now that I've ever been, but I can't attribute all my success to my vegetarianism. Incorporating exercise, eating a wider variety of foods, watching macros, and controlling my portions also helped greatly.

I don't preach at people about their diets, because what works for me might not work for them. I will share with them what I've learned if they specifically ask me, or give them suggestions if they want. Diet is kind of like religion or sexuality, in my opinion- really it's no one else's business.

fitness_faeiry · April 2014

I've been a Vegetarian for 18 years+ and I look (apparently) a lot younger than my age. Hardly ever get ill, and have never had a problem with my weight (I eat a very balanced diet and seldom drink)

Lives2Travel · April 2014

I understand your point and agree that the issue lies with those who are more sensitive than others. It doesn't bother me in the least when people qualify statements. I'm not easily offended and when I am, I move on and ignore the offender. But, there are those who are easily offended and seem to have very thin skin. I've experienced weird reactions to what I consider non-offensive statements time and time again. I guess it's just human nature for some people to perceive things negatively more readily than positively.

RunBakeLove · April 2014

It wasn't always that I outright said it, but it normally would enter the conversation somehow. Sometimes it would be other people that would say it. Or like another poster said, it was to stop the offers because I'm going to keep saying no and that was my reason...rather than feeling like I'm better than them. I have come to see food as a personal, friendly offering and I guess that was my way of trying NOT to hurt their feelings - it wasn't because it looked gross or I didn't think they could cook, it was because I didn't eat meat at all.

But I do understand what you are saying that if I were to qualify it, then it could imply that. Ah the joys of human miscommunication!

LoseYouself · April 2014

THIS.

Perfectly said. Different diets work for different people. Do what makes you feel healthy and happy. This can look very different for each person. You're right about there being so many "my diet is better than yours" arguments in these forums. Yes, it's a public forum and people will voice their opinions, but what's the point or debating what another person chooses to eat? Maybe eating meat is what is healthiest for YOU, maybe being vegetarian or vegan is what is healthiest for YOU. No need for people to shove their opinions down each others throats. I try intentionally try not to come across as a vegetarian who "preaches" because I don't care what others eat... I just do my own thing.

Mind you, I'm not referring to this thread specifically, but in general because this comes up a lot.

Live and let live, people.

midohiowoodsman · April 2014

+1

My thoughts exactly!

Vegetarians found more unhealthy. Interesting article.

Replies

Categories