The Skinny on Vegetarianism

For years vegetarianism has been viewed as a healthy alternative lifestyle in a fast food frenzy society ripe with double-bacon burgers and processed frozen dinners. However, a study published in early 2009 by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association challenges that very notion, raising concerns about the safety of such a diet.

Printed in the journal’s April issue, the report examines the link between a vegetarian diet and an increased likelihood to develop an eating disorder, such as binge eating or bulimia.

Led by Ramona Robinson-O’Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota, the study examined over 2,000 men and women of high school and college age who considered themselves to be either current, former or never vegetarians.

Vegetarianism is originally an eastern tradition that traces back to ancient Greece. The guidelines for its followers include restrictions of all meat products inclusive of beef, poultry and often seafood. However, differing types and degrees of vegetarianism exist, from vegans (who do not eat animal by-product) to pescetarians (who do eat fish).

O’Brien and a team of researchers in Minnesota drew their results based upon weight status and frequency of what the study refers to as “unhealthful weight-control behaviors,” compared to nutritional intake. The results determined a link that until this time had been pure speculation: “current vegetarians are more likely to experience binge eating with loss of control, while former vegetarians may be at increased risk for extreme unhealthful weight-control behavior.”

While current and former vegetarians were less likely to be overweight than life-long carnivores – 17 percent (as compared to 28 percent), researchers found that 25 percent of current vegetarians ages 15 to 18 and 20 percent of the remaining group had used extreme dieting techniques from pills to vomiting.

Furthermore, about 27 percent of former vegetarians ages 19 to 23 reported engaging in such behaviors, which not only implies that adolescents have a higher tendency to have an eating disorder, but that vegetarians are more apt to develop one as well.

Rachel Curry, a sociology senior and recovering bulimic, says that anorexia and bulimia are the result of both psychological predisposition and environment.

“We’ll justify how we’re acting,” Curry says. “When it starts to define us, then it’s a disease. [It] enables us to lie for ourselves and we can’t differentiate between what’s real and what’s not. We think it’s true.”

By examining this behavior in conjunction with the study, this could be the reason why some bulimics would disguise themselves as vegetarians: by pretending this behavior is vegetarian, they become vegetarian and avoid active admission of having an eating disorder.

“Adolescent and young adult vegetarians may experience the health benefits associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake and young adults may experience the added benefit of decreased risk for overweight and obesity,” according to the study. “However … it would be beneficial for clinicians to inquire about current and former vegetarian status when assessing risk for disordered eating behaviors.”

“When guiding adolescent and young adult vegetarians in proper nutrition and meal planning it may also be important to investigate an individual’s motives for choosing a vegetarian diet,” the research concludes.

Deanne Wilson, a dietitian for ASU’s Campus Health, agrees.

Becoming a vegetarian can be a way for students to contribute to things they think are important. For many vegetarians, that means prevention of animal cruelty, raising awareness about global warming, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

However, this is not always the case.

“Despite their ethical reasons, for the most part they are wearing leather or consuming other animal products,” Wilson says of vegetarians. “Look at your own consistencies. I think there are actually more proactive ways to protect ethical treatment of animals instead of limiting diet.”

The study proposes that those who continue to describe themselves as “vegetarians” long into adulthood are subscribers to the diet for reasons other than weight control. Yet the issue then becomes differentiation between an actual strict vegetarian lifestyle and an eating disorder disguised as vegetarianism.

Eating disorders are complex in nature, Wilson says. Though there are many contributing factors (including life events, social pressures and genetics), there is not one specific behavior that will lead to one.

“It’s not that being a vegetarian means you have an eating disorder,” says Wilson, who has a background in eating disorders, having worked with affected teens and adults. “It works itself into an eating disorder. It’s a way to be restricted that is socially acceptable. It’s becoming the norm, particularly on the college campus. It’s a fad.”

Natalie Lew, a pre-med psychology junior and co-president of the ASU club VegAware, disagrees with Wilson and says she became a vegetarian to better her eating habits.

“I believe that eating meat as part of your diet is unnecessary, but there are some essential amino acids that your body cannot make, which many vegetarians lack but you can get these things from other foods like whole grains, legumes and things like avocado,” Lew says in an e-mail.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about vegetarianism is that you can’t eat hearty meals, but there are a lot of different variations of the foods that you already love without all the bad stuff that’s in meat,” she adds. “I can eat at a lot of the same restaurants, I just order different healthier things that make me feel better.”

Still, Wilson says that a trying a vegetarian diet without preparation can have negative consequences. Vegetarians often lack sufficient protein, and mineral intake is especially important. Be proactive by meeting with a nutritionist and knowing what alternative foods you can eat, she adds. If you don’t have the time to do it properly, don’t do it at all.

“Taking on a more challenging diet is a stretch for students,” Wilson says. “For most college students I would not recommend being a vegetarian. College students that become vegetarian don’t become healthier.”

Contact the writer at janessa.hilliard@asu.edu

Tagged as: eating disorders, vegetarianism