Weight Loss and a Vegetable Diet

(From “Shorts” in Vegan Voice, No. 24, Dec. 2005 – Feb. 2006, p. 17)

 

Washington , DC  USA.

A low-fat, plant based diet is more effective at helping women lose weight and improve insulin sensitivity than an omnivorous diet, shows a new study appearing in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine. The study, involving 59 overweight, postmenopausal women involved two groups. Half of the study participants followed a vegan diet; the other half followed a control diet based on the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.

 

“The study participants following the vegan diet enjoyed unlimited servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthful foods that enabled them to lose weight without feeling hungry, says Dr Barnard, the lead author. “As they began to experience the positive effects, weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity, the women in the intervention group became even more motivated to follow the Plan-based eating plan.”

 

Scientific studies show that obesity and overweight are far less prevalent in populations following a plan-based diet. In a recent study of more than 55,000 Swedish women. , tufts University researcher P. Kirstin Newby and her colleagues found that 40 per cent of meat-eaters are overweight or obese while only 25 to 29 per cent of vegetarians and vegans were. Worldwide, vegetarian populations experience lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other life-threatening diseases. A new study appearing in September’s Journal of Urology shows that a low-fat, primarily vegan diet may slow the progression of prostate cancer.

 

The simplicity of a vegan diet appeals to people who are busy with work and family, and many familiar recipes are easy to adapt. At least four studies published in peer-reviewed journals show that patients give the low-fat vegetarian diet a high rating in terms of acceptability, and that the transition only takes bout three weeks or less.