{"id":2351,"date":"2020-05-26T14:16:05","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T14:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=health&p=2351"},"modified":"2020-05-26T14:16:52","modified_gmt":"2020-05-26T14:16:52","slug":"vegan-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"health","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/health-fitness\/vegan-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Weight Loss: Losing Weight on a Vegan Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AppleWhether you are a vegan who is seeking to lose weight, or a non-vegan wondering if a vegan diet might help you achieve your health and fitness goals, we\u2019re going to examine everything there is to consider about this issue. There are many proven health benefits<\/a> to going vegan and there is also lots of evidence that indicates that vegans are slimmer (as measured by Body Mass Index \u2013 BMI \u2013 among other things) than those who consume meat and dairy products.<\/p>\n

Here we will look at how and why vegans might be leaner and we will provide tips on how to use a vegan diet to lose weight. We have stated many times that in one regard there is no such thing as \u201ca vegan diet\u201d. By that we mean there is no single one-size-fits-all diet plan that all vegans follow; the only thing one vegan\u2019s dietary habits has in common with another\u2019s is that they both eschew animal products.<\/p>\n

Being Vegan Doesn’t Mean You’ll Lose Weight Automatically<\/h2>\n
\"Apple
There are plenty of unhealthy vegan foods, so you’ll need to make good choices<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whilst a raw vegan diet<\/a> is likely to consist largely of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, other vegans might opt for the lesser known chocolate<\/a> and vegan beer<\/a> diet. Whilst adherents of such eating regimes are both on \u201ca vegan diet\u201d, clearly they are likely to have very different health outcomes and would probably have rather different BMIs (all other things being equal).<\/p>\n

Our point here is that simply by becoming vegan you will not magically get the body of a world-beating vegan athlete<\/a>. Going vegan will definitely help the environment<\/a> and, of course, it will prevent many animals from being killed or forced to endure suffering. But no longer eating meat, eggs, dairy and other animal products will not suddenly make your abs appear more pronounced or help you drop two dress sizes.<\/p>\n

Do Vegans Have a Lower BMI?<\/h2>\n

\"Vegan<\/p>\n

So, if simply being vegan won\u2019t automatically make you lose weight, is a plant-based diet a good choice for a non-vegan who has such aspirations? How do we square up the notion that vegans in general have lower BMIs and less body fat and yet being vegan won\u2019t necessarily lead to such an outcome? And, is it even true that vegans are slimmer (as measured by those and other similar metrics)?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at that last point first, because if that assumption isn\u2019t even true then we need consider the issue no more. So, are vegans thinner? Well, quite simply, yes. There are many studies that look at this issue and whilst they don\u2019t necessarily show causality, they do show a correlation between being vegan (and to a lesser extent vegetarian) and having a lower BMI.<\/p>\n

EPIC-Oxford Study<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest pieces of research was the EPIC-Oxford Study, published in the International Journal of Obesity<\/a>, which looked at almost 38,000 people. That\u2019s a significant sample size and the BMI stats were adjusted for age too, which further improves their value as it negates any argument that vegans may be slimmer because they tend to be younger.\u00a0It also looked at other non-dietary factors and concluded that:<\/p>\n

Differences in lifestyle factors including smoking, physical activity and education level accounted for less than 5% of the difference in mean age-adjusted BMI between meat-eaters and vegans.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, diet was the thing that best explained the differences in weight.\u00a0The study began with almost 60,000 participants but some were excluded for a range of reasons (including medical conditions). Research took place over seven years and considered four diets, concluding that \u201cFish-eaters, vegetarians and especially vegans had lower BMI than meat-eaters.\u201d The figures for each group are shown in the table below:<\/p>\n

Comparing BMI by Diet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Diet<\/th>\nMale BMI<\/th>\nFemale BMI<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Vegan<\/td>\n22.53<\/td>\n22.01<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vegetarian<\/td>\n23.38<\/td>\n22.73<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fish-eater<\/td>\n23.35<\/td>\n22.70<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Meat Eater<\/td>\n24.39<\/td>\n23.49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note that the stats shown above are adjusted for age and the following lifestyle factors: ethnicity, smoking, education, physical activity, marital status, and (for women only) parity (i.e. the number of children).<\/em><\/p>\n

Whilst BMI does not always tell the full picture and is in some ways something of a blunt tool, it is still one of the best, simplest indicators of health and it is a good predictor of longevity and outcome in relation to a range of diseases and illnesses. The EPIC-Oxford Study is one of the most respected in this area and was carried out by the University of Oxford as part of a wider European research initiative. This research clearly shows that in general vegans have lower BMIs than people in other dietary groups.<\/p>\n

Study by the American Diabetes Association<\/h3>\n

As said, this particular study is not unique and others support its findings. One such piece of research was published in the US National Library of Medicine\u2019s National Institutes of Health<\/a> having been carried out by the American Diabetes Association. With a sample of more than 60,000 men and women, over a period of five years (2002-2006) it found a similar pattern, albeit with slightly higher BMI levels and different dietary categories.<\/p>\n

Comparing BMI by Diet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Diet<\/th>\nUnadjusted BMI<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Vegan<\/td>\n23.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lacto-ovo vegetarian<\/td>\n25.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pesco-vegetarian<\/td>\n26.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Semi-vegetarian<\/td>\n27.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Non-vegetarian<\/td>\n28.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This study shows an even more marked difference in the benefits of the vegan diet in terms of maintaining a healthy weight and indeed its conclusion stated that, \u201conly vegan diets were associated with a BMI in the optimal range\u201d. The final line of the entire report stated:<\/p>\n

In conclusion, this study showed that all variants of vegetarian diets (vegan, lacto-ovo, and pesco- and semi-vegetarian) were associated with substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes and lower BMI than non-vegetarian diets. The protection afforded by vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets was strongest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why Do Vegans Have Lower BMI?<\/h3>\n

Having established that vegans as a group have a lower BMI than followers of other diets, we return to the issue of why simply going vegan will not, in and of itself, make you lose weight. Quite simply, as we have said, there are healthy vegan diets and unhealthy vegan diets.<\/p>\n

In some circumstances, there could be many factors influencing a person or group\u2019s BMI but it seems sensible that diet would be one of the most important, an assumption backed up by the EPIC-Oxford Study. Many unhealthy foods \u2013 ones that are high in sugar, fat and calories, and low in nutritional value \u2013 tend to be non-vegan. On the other side of the coin, many of the most nutrient-dense foods that pack a powerful vitamin and mineral punch, especially relative to their calorific content, are naturally vegan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are, of course, many healthy, nutritious and low calorie foods that are non-vegan and lots of plant-based items that are unhealthy, have a low nutritional value and are high in calories. So once again, we return to that phrase: in general<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Traditional Food Pyramid Built on Vegan Foundations<\/h2>\n

\"Food<\/p>\n

The concept of a food pyramid as a simple visual guide to a healthy diet has been around a long time. Not as long as the pyramids of Egypt, but long enough. There are variations on this idea, such as the NHS Eat Well<\/a> concept, which uses a plate to help people visualise what percentage of their overall diet should be made up of what types of foods.<\/p>\n

There are variations on the exact structure of the pyramid too, with different nations having slightly different ideas of what makes a balanced diet and this information changing over time too, as discussed at Safefood<\/a>, a \u201cbody set up under the British-Irish Agreement with a general remit to promote awareness and knowledge of food safety and nutrition issues on the island of Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healthy Base Consists of Vegan Foods<\/h3>\n

In any food pyramid, the groups at the bottom of the structure can and should be eaten more freely, whilst those at the top should only be consumed in moderation or even only occasionally. If we look at Safefood\u2019s updated (December 2016) data, the biggest part of the pyramid, the bottom layer, is fruit, salad and vegetables, with five to seven portions per day recommended.<\/p>\n

The second biggest tier consists of \u201cwholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice\u201d. Three to five servings from this \u201cshelf\u201d are recommended, with a serving equating to around 150 calories. Above this level is a \u201cshelf\u201d of milk, yoghurt and cheese, typically assumed to be of dairy origin. Next comes \u201cMeat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts\u201d, with fats\/spreads above that and \u201cFoods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt\u201d at the very top, with a maximum consumption level of just once or twice a week.<\/p>\n

So, as we can see, the foundation of the pyramid is vegan by nature, with vegetables and fruits forming the biggest part of a healthy diet. Starchy items come next, ideally wholegrain, and whilst not all bread is vegan<\/a>, and the same applies to some pasta<\/a>, most is in both case. Moreover rice, potatoes and similar starchy carbs are always vegan.<\/p>\n

Top of the Pyramid Generally Not Vegan<\/h3>\n

Higher up the pyramid we find many non-vegan items, such as dairy, meat and eggs, whilst the top level of the graphic lists sits \u201cFoods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt\u201d. These are not vegan per se but on closer inspection, Safefood list as examples of foods in this category:<\/p>\n