Veggies weigh less

It’s official – Veggies and vegans weigh less than meat-eaters. Two new studies confirm that a plant-based diet is the healthiest option for weight loss or to maintain a healthy weight. A new study shows that vegetarian and vegan women have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than women who eat meat. Results of a study on 55,459 women revealed that 40 per cent of meat-eaters were overweight or obese compared to just 29 per cent of vegans, and 25 per cent of vegetarians. In a second study, clinical researcher and author Dr Neal Barnard investigated the effect of a low-fat, plant-based diet on body weight in 64 overweight postmenopausal women. Results showed that a low-fat, vegan diet was associated with significant weight loss in these women. Taken together these results confirm that vegetarians and vegans have a lower risk of overweight and obesity and suggest that replacing some meat with a plant-based alternative may help some people control their weight.

_{Newby PK, Tucker KL, Wolk A. 2005. Risk of overweight and obesity among semivegetarian, lactovegetarian, and vegan women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 81 (6) 1267-1274.}