Vegetarians weigh less

Different scientific studies show that vegetarians weigh less than meat-consuming people. A new British study proves that even the annual increase of weight among vegetarians is less than that of people eating meat.

21,966 healthy men and women took part in this study, where their feedings patterns were closely monitored by scientists and researchers for five consecutive years. Participants were subdivided in separate groups depending on their eating habits (meat-eating, fish-eating, vegetarian, vegan). Then the groups were mutually compared with each other. The researchers checked the weight and the length of the participants with the use of a timetable. The Body Mass Index and the annual increase of weight were calculated.

The average annual increase of weight of all participants amounted a 400 grams per year. When the results of participants from different groups were mutually compared, researchers came to the conclusion that the increase of weight of the vegetarian participants was significantly smaller than the increase of weight of participants in other groups.

The lowest annual weight increase was seen at participants that switched from eating meat to eating fish or from eating meat to being a vegetarian or vegan.

When the participants practiced sufficient physical activity next to their changed eating habits, the results were even better. The researchers concluded that, in the frame of obesities and too much body weight, a vegetarian feeding combined with sufficient physical activity is the most recommended healthy lifestyle.