AAAARGHHH! Obesity “Engulfs the World”
This is the big health news story of the day, on the front page of the paper, and all over the net wire services. To quote the Associated Press article:
Sydney - Obesity has reached pandemic proportions throughout the world and is now the greatest single contributor to chronic disease, an international conference was told on Sunday.
“This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world,” Australia’s Monash University professor Paul Zimmet, chair of the 10th International Congress on Obesity, said on the opening day of the conference.
The spread of the problem was “led by affluent western nations, whose physical activity and dietary habits are regrettably being adopted by developing nations,” Zimmet told more than 2,000 delegates.
The world now has more fat people than hungry ones, according to World Health Organisation figures, with more than a billion overweight people compared to 800 million who are undernourished.
Read the rest of the story, and lots of related links. This is just so aggravating! With all the public education and information out there, the world is just getting fatter and fatter.
I know a lot of vegetarians and vegans read this blog. Do any of you struggle with weight? In my family, it seems like our vegan diets allow us to eat and eat and eat, and yet we are all at ideal weight. As I have written before, I even have to make sure to do some calorie-loading for the two teenage boys as they are both thin. What are your experiences with veg/vegan lifestyle and weight? If I get some interesting repsonses, I will put them together for a piece in my next newsletter.
In the most recent query to Vegetarian Kitchen’s new Reader Q & A column, a reader asks if a vegetarian diet can help her lose and keep off 20 pounds. In doing a little research for a recent study to quote in my answer, what I know in my heart to be true was confirmed—that a plant-based diet is the most healthful. Vegetarians and vegans are slimmer, live longer, and suffer from fewer cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.
I know full well that the world is not ready to “go veg,” but the message needs to be louder and clearer—more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans!! Fewer animal products, and NO white flour, high-fructose corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated fats. Unfortunately the U.S. has been exporting this kind of crappy, poisonous eating throughout the world via fast food and soft drinks. It just makes me so mad!
And furthermore, while I am still ranting, what about exercise? In Amsterdam, for instance, where people get around by bicycle, we did not see a single overweight person. As countries develop, there is more reliance on cars and less on walking and bicycling, and it shows up in rising rates of overweight, with the exception of cities that are set up for walking and biking.
So, I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on how your veg/vegan diet and activity level affects your weight.
Everyone needs to be aware that good nutrition is a major part of a long, happy life.
Courtney said,
September 4, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and a vegan for the last 6, and I do struggle with weight. I am not obese—I am just fighting about 10-15 lbs. I eat very healthfully, and for the past year and a half have been following Dr. Furhman’s Eat to Live lifestyle (basically veggies, fruits, beans and limited grains; no sugar, processed food etc.). I work out every day at the gym, yet my weight is still an issue for me. I know pleanty of overweight vegetarians/vegans—they eat the vegetarian/vegan versions of all of the processed junk foods the rest of America is addicted to. I work in public health and I am actually working on a study to prevent obesity in K and 1st graders—obesity is an issue for all Americans, vegetarian/vegan or not.
Thanks for a great blog—I really enjoy it!
Milinda said,
September 4, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
Sadly, I’m very obese. I gained most of my weight when I gave up my vegetarian diet & ate meat “to fit in” at a new job in a new town. Big mistake. I’ve returned to my vegetarian diet, not quite vegan, and while I feel much healthier, I’ve yet to loose any weight. I’ve a couple of ideas up my sleeve and if those don’t work, I will be forced into drastic measures, ie, the surgery. That said, the first question I asked the surgeon was about diet after the surgery—everything I’ve read talks about, well never mind. The surgeon was very supportive and told me that as long as I was willing to eat tons of tofu (as if that would be a problem), surgery was still an option.
It was refreshing to have a doctor actually encourage me to stay on the veggie diet.
But yes, being a vegetarian/vegan does not guarantee slenderness or an immediate return to that.
Monica said,
September 4, 2006 @ 7:02 pm
I lost about 25 lbs. when I became a vegetarian, but I am still about 50 pounds overweight. I do believe that going veg 6 years ago has meant that I haven’t gained weight as I head into my mid-thirties, though. For me, I feel that a good diet MUST be paired with regular, fairly strenuous exercise. I think there are many people, especially women, who must do EVERYTHING right in order to maintain an ideal weight. My sporadic attempts at regular exercise just don’t do the job! My skinny husband, however, can eat whatever he wants and never gain any weight. Genetics really do have a lot to do with it. I often feel very annoyed at skinny people I see eating sugary, animal-fat-laden, low-fiber junk food. I wish vegetarianism/veganism were the magic pill, but it’s only one tool to help the whole problem.
Chris said,
September 4, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
I’ve never been overweight but there have been times when I could lose a few pounds. When I first went vegetarian I dropped down to an ideal weight without really trying. My weight crept up a little but then when I went vegan the same thing happened. Now that I’m a little older though I do find that I have to be a little more careful with what I eat but I firmly believe it’d be more difficult if not for the vegan diet.
Heather said,
September 4, 2006 @ 10:03 pm
I have been a vegetarian for the past 12 years though growing up I always hated meat but ate what I was told. Once I moved out and got on my own I wasn’t sure what to eat. I went to a nutrtionist and was told how much dairy (of all things) I should be eating, for the calcium of course. haha I now know different. Still not knowing what to eat I ate a lot of fatting side dishes and what else desserts. Even going to family gathering I knew I could always count on desserts if I was hungry. Growing up I was the one who never ate sweets and here I was now eating all these sweets. Shamley I admit I have gained an excess of 90lbs! I am not sure what really attributed to the weight, sweets of course, but I think stress has had a lot to do with it as well. Since I got out of high school I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been stressed. I am talking about a lot of stress so bad it lead to depression and most recently stress induced IBS. My nutrition has gotten a lot better and raising two vegetarian girls I want them to have a solid nutrition so they have a healthy life. Both are tall and thin happy girls. Although I am very buzy during the day with a 18 month old and 4 year old I seem to be lacking in the exercise part of my life. I felt constantly fatigued until recently my doctor upped my thyroid medication, which seems to be helping my energy level.
I don’t think being vegetarian/ vegan can keep you thin. you need the whole package, exercise, good health. A good balance I guess you could say. I would like to say I have lost 15 lbs in the past few months and hope to keep it up. I am also working towards a vegan lifestyle.
Thank YOu so much for your cooksbooks and this wonderful website, It has really helped me feed me and my family better
Katie said,
September 5, 2006 @ 12:39 am
I have struggled with weight my whole life and even had to recover from and eating disorder as a teenager. I took phen phen back then and when I went off of it I couldn’t maintain the weight loss and over the years between mairrage and having two children I have gained weight until I reached my highest weight at 289lbs. I am not proud of that in any way what so ever. Once I hit that weight and my eyes began to open I went to weight watchers and I have since lost 20lbs and am steadily loosing. Using the weight watcher tools you can go on their website and there is a message board there just for vegetarians and there are quite a few there to loose weight. Granted I have noticed that those who are there generally have less to loose that others but they are there. About a month ago I was talking with my niece and she has made the decision to go vegetarian and I was concerned for her health because she recieves absolutely no support at home so I wanted to see what I could do to promote her eating a well balanced veggie diet so she didn’t become a “fruititarian” or “Breadatarian”. In doing so I have come to realize that this is a very healthy lifestyle and the way I want my children to live and the way I want myself to live. Since I have practically eliminated meat from my diet I have begun to drop weight, but I believe that it is portion control, exercise and healthy thinking that has done this not just the decision to go veggie. Although I will say that since I have started this way of eating I am generally less hungry, I have more energy and a clearer mind.
Thank you for your website and cookbooks they have been invaluable to me.
Katie
Chris Reynaud said,
September 5, 2006 @ 2:56 am
Our family is not entirely vegetarian (though my daughter and I are keen sympathizers) - we eat very little meat and some fish. Nobody is overweight, we range from a skinny, sporty 12 year-old boy to a slightly rounded but normal sized mum (me!). We all do a sport of some kind a couple of times a week. I don’t think the weight question all hangs on being vegetarian/vegan or not though - a diet which includes little processed food, plenty of quality fruit and veg, grains, beans, pasta, low fat protein, quality oils etc. should not lead to a weight problem if you are also getting enough regular exercise. Another important factor is water - we are lucky enough to have excellent tap water here in Switzerland, and we drink loads of it. You can eat the healthiest food on the planet, but if you’re washing it down with soda (even the diet stuff) you are going to expand at some point…. not to mention the health hazards. Having said that, we are not averse to a couple of glasses of wine!!
Thanks for your website/blog and books Nava, I find them a great source of inspiration.
Chris
Nava said,
September 5, 2006 @ 9:08 am
Thanks for the interesting and detailed responses. I did not mean to imply that a veg/vegan diet is the only panacea for the obesity/overweight crisis, but that adopting more of its habits may be a big help. I wonder, too, if we are not giving enough attention to the basic calories in/calories out equation. I don’t know … really posing the question. It’s just so confounding, really. I agree with whoever said that there must be a genetic factor; still, I can’t help but think back to our travels this summer.
In Israel, the young people are tall, lean, and gorgeous, but I noticed that in middle age, the men tend to get paunchy and the women, a bit chubby (not universally, but I’m talking in general). Israel is a very hot country and is very car-oriented. It is, perhaps, a slow, insidious thing, where the weight creeps up over the years. On the other hand, Amsterdamers of all ages are constantly on their bikes. I was only there for a few days, so I’m again, speaking in generalities—I did not see a single overweight person. So I think a lot of it has to do equally with lifestyle as with what one ingests (and how much). There’s that book French Women Don’t Get Fat —and I believe it, for the most part. I’ve been to Paris 3 times in the last year and a half, and each time, after all that walking, walking, and walking (even though eating extremely well), I’ve come away 2 to 4 pounds lighter.
Even in a veg/vegan lifestyle, there may be certain foods or beverages that really pack in the calories without one’s noticing it. For example, I wonder what would happen if someone replaces juices with a couple of pieces of fruit a day, and then drinks water instead. Juice, even fresh fruit juice, is really caloric! Sometimes I buy one of those all-fruit smoothies in a bottle, and before I know it, I’ve consumed 300 calories and a lot of carbs! That’s almost like a small meal.
We’re all so busy, so when not on vacation it’s impossible to be walking and exercising for hours a day, but it’s worth noting what can be done to increase activity, and for women, to make sure to build muscle mass. Once one starts to lose muscle tone, especially after the age of 30, things can start going downhill pretty rapidly!
More thoughts, please, this is such an interesting discussion …
And thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts on my books and web sites!
Bobbie said,
September 5, 2006 @ 12:35 pm
A couple summers ago, I gained about 12 pounds. Because I was vegan, it came as a slight shock. It turned out, I had been eating quite a bit of junk food (vegan cookies, chips, etc.) and not really paying attention to my friut/veggie/bean/wholegrain intake. Now, I follow a very nutritous whole-foods diet and not only did I drop those extra pounds, I feel great and am sick far less. My point is that you can be vegan and overweight/unhealthy. The key is to eat fresh, whole foods and pay attention to the nutrition aspect, as well as any food allergies you may have.
Kate said,
September 5, 2006 @ 1:41 pm
I think another thing people don’t think about is what they put on their food. I noticed when I visited my brother and sister-in-law that even my brother who was the stick-thin eat-everything type as a teenager is rounding out a bit in his late 20’s. We were eating the same meals by appearance, but in reality they weren’t the same. I made vegetarian chili, and I ate it with perhaps a sprinkle of cheese on top. They wanted it with lots of cheese, and sour cream, and some crumbled-up chips mixed in. Tall 12-ounce glasses brim-full with 2% milk, instead of a small glass of nonfat. Lots of dressing on a salad. It’s so easy to take something healthy, and make it into something that isn’t! All the little things seem like extras that don’t count, but they really add up.
I generally am not too concerned with my weight, as I get a lot of exercise and try to stick with whole grains and less-processed foods. But every once in a while I measure out food and keep track of calories just as a reality check, and sometimes it is a surprise what I’m actually taking it when everything is accounted for.
simplysara said,
September 5, 2006 @ 4:42 pm
I have struggled with my weight since childhood. I’ve been a vegetarian for over 15 years and my weight has never stabalized. At my highest I weighed 284 lbs. I decided to go vegan about 5 months ago. I’ve lost about 15 lbs, though I have put some effort into it. I do find it much easier to eat a healthful diet as a vegan. I eat almost the same foods I ate when I was just a vegetarian, but I don’t use toppings much anymore since they were mostly dairy (cheese, sour cream, butter etc). I find that as long as I follow general health guidelines, ie avoiding processed foods, choosing whole grains, eating minimal sugar and getting lots of fruits and veggies a day along with regular exercise, I don’t have to be particularly diligent for the weight to come off.
I’ve also realized though that I have a problem with food. I think part of being healthy includes mental health. In my case a regular yoga practice and counseling has done wonders.
Susan said,
September 5, 2006 @ 6:12 pm
My family and I are also thin people. Seven years ago we went (semi) vegan -we eat salmon - and at first we were scared by the weight loss we experienced. I think giving up dairy was the cause but eventually we all adjusted back to our original weights.
The motive behind our vegan diets was initially rooted in my desire to live a healthier lifestyle. After I had several friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer, I did extensive reading on the subject and decided to go veggie. Never was a better decision made. It took some convincing at first to get the rest of the family to follow suit, but today we’re all religious vegans. My oldest son even found a vegan girlfriend!
Heather said,
September 5, 2006 @ 8:20 pm
Hi Nava, I have a question about the remark you made about No white flour. I switched along time ago to unbleached white flour and most recently to organic white flour. Why is white so bad? I have tried whole wheat pastry flour and no one noticed the difference. well we did make pizza crust with it and me and the kids loved it but my husband did not.
Somehow I married a die hard meat eater, dairy ,egg, lover. I have never liked eggs so I don’t but them and as for meat he only gets that if we go out to eat. I think I would have gone Vegan along time ago if it weren’t for him. The kids were on the WIC program from the goverment. They were getting 8 gallons of milk 6 lbs of cheese and so much juice my pantry was overflowing. That was just for one month! I have always given them soy milk and because I feel so badly about the way cows are treated I never felt right in the WIC program, besides I was the one drinking all that calorie ladden juice. They only will drink water and that is fine by me. Well anyways I dropped the kids from the program a few months ago and my husband was furious because it was free food. Free doesn’t always mean its good for you. Does anyone have any tips on how to ease him into a better way of eating? I have been tring for 10 years and know that he will never give up the meat , but what about the rest?
Susan G said,
September 5, 2006 @ 10:49 pm
A few points to add: Chew food thoroughly — complete digestion begins in the mouth, and slowing down at meals lets the “satisfaction” response kick in.
Look for food allergies and sensitivities — they can lead to bloating and gas, & compulsive eating; people usually lose weight when they stop the offending food. Increase fiber, through food and supplements. (We put a cup of wheat bran in our pizza crust, for starters.) That said, my extra pounds have crept up over the years.
I appreciate all the thoughtful comments!
michelle said,
September 6, 2006 @ 1:11 am
I have been vegetarian for 27yrs. vegan for the past 15. I do struggle with my weight which was gained after each pregnancy,6 in total, but 2 miscarriages.
I really believe that being vegetarian helped me survive a cancer which occurred during one of my pregnancies (trophoblastic disease) in which my body totally expelled the cancer over a period of months and I didn’t require any chemo, as did the other ladies going through the same.
Anyway, I love my vegan life!!!!
Geraldine said,
September 6, 2006 @ 9:07 am
These are very interesting comments. I don’t think simply by going veg…that anyone is going to maintain their ideal weight. I have been a vegetarian for about 20 years, up until 4 years ago, I could eat whatever I felt like and not gain weight. I was fit and happy with my weight. In the past 4 years, I have gained weight, due to lack of enough exercise, overeating (stress-related) at times, getting older/being a woman LOL… etc…
I think a good diet is a big part of achieving and maintaining an ideal weight but there are a lot of other factors to consider, exercise is so crucial, as is stress reduction. I know I will get back to a weight that I can be happy with. Its important and not too far out of reach.
Thanks for an interesting post Nava.
G
Susan G said,
September 6, 2006 @ 7:51 pm
and another point: consider the connection between weight gain and artifical sweeteners — another case of the unnatural steering us astray.
Renee said,
September 7, 2006 @ 9:30 am
I found this study to be interesting too. Thank you for blogging your thoughts.
I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years a vegan for the last two. I have found it very easy to stay thin with this way of eating. I have found the key (for me) is to eat quite a bit of raw fruits and veggies. These are crucial to health and well being.
I was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this past May and I did not see one heavy Ethiopian. They were lean and muscular. Dairy is not a part of their diet. Lean meats, beans, veggies, fruits, and whole grains are. Of course, walking is a big part of their lives too.
Junk food has become so prevalent here in America even in “Health Food Stores”. I am hoping the good eating habits our children have now will stay with them throughout thier lives.
Renee
Nava said,
September 7, 2006 @ 9:46 am
Heather, your questions are great, though a bit off this topic. Two important questions, though, and I’d like to address them in my Reader Q & A column on the site when I do my monthly updates. To give a short answer on the flour, though, white, even if it is unbleached and organic, has far less fiber and intact nutrients. How to handle your husband … now that is a matter for more thought! I’ll get back to you on that one.
Some of these comments are very helpful. Susan mentioned chewing. It seems like a small point, but it’s quite significant. A couple of years ago, my younger son Evan discovered, somehow, on his own that thorough chewing is very important. Aside from the digestive factor, it also slows us down so that we eat slowly and savor every bite. I notice sometimes that people who eat here with us or that we eat out with literally almost “breathe in” the food. It’s gone in minutes, so psychologically, one may not feel satiated, plus the full feeling has not had a chance to register. So of course, the inclination is to keep eating more. With Evan’s inspiration, we attempt to eat very slowly, trying to stretch the dinner meal out as much as we can. Eat less, talk more!
Lots of raw food, lots of fiber, as Renee mentioned too, can be very helpful. Sometimes I just have a really big salad for lunch and am amazed at how filling it is. Read the new article on my web site, Fiber for Plant Based Diets by Connie Sarros for some really good tips!
Heather said,
September 7, 2006 @ 12:28 pm
I am so sorry! I tend to ramble sometimes…. hehehe I just wanted to say thanks again. I love reading your blog, it has been helping me so very much.
heather
Mira said,
September 12, 2006 @ 1:18 pm
Having been an overly thin girl, I began to struggle with packing on too many pounds when two things happened: I turned 30, and I moved out of New York City.
I think it’s important to mention the social aspect of the body-weight issue, though of course biological and personal factors play a role. The automobile-manufacturer-driven layout of our landscape these days has such a HUGE impact on our culture and bodies, with the decline of the traditional walking city through most of the U.S.
And then of course, the intersection of food and advanced capitalism — we’ve got corporations with unbelievably massive resources dedicated to trying to increase the consumers’ demand for food. It’s no wonder we find ourselves eating more calories, especially under times of stress, like the past few years have been for all of us.
I mean, I do the best I can on an individual level to try to eat healthfully and tune out the bombardment of advertising, the setup of supermarkets, etc., but I don’t live in a vacuum, and this culture does make it tough.
Frances said,
September 23, 2006 @ 8:27 pm
I don’t get the painful feeling of bloatedness that I used to when I ate meat and fish, it used to be so uncomfortable I thought i’d die! However I do find that my weight is a little more consistent now that i’m on a vegetarian diet, but the thing is I eat more because it TASTES SO GOOD! Not only that but I don’t feel guilty about eating it..whereas when I ate meat i’d have one small medallion of pork drizzled in garlic butter and a few veggies, now i’m devouring whole trays of roasted kumara, tofu parmegiana, baked beans on toast etc. So now ironically even though i’m eating healthier things I need to watch my weight, do more exercise…because it’s too easy to eat much more than I used to.
Lynne Bryant said,
November 1, 2006 @ 2:35 am
I have been a vegetarian on and off for 30 yrs and am vegan now. I am clinically obese at 5’8” and 180 lbs. I exercise regularly and I eat carefully, trying to limit additional fats and sugars that just don’t need to be there. I eat very little grain, but I feel better if I eat some regularly and pick whole grains when I do. I try to eat three times a day and snack carefully on fresh fruits or vegetables. Weight is still a problem.
Trying to weigh 3 fruit servings, 3 to 5 vegetable servings, 3 servings of soymilk (reduced fat) and get 5 to 6 ounces of protein (or 3 times that if using tofu), and 3 or 4 servings of whole grain against weight loss and being healthy, it doesn’t exactly compute. Yet, the above IS the prescribed 1200 calorie a day diet that Richard Simmons had on Deal-A-Meal and absolutely can be done in a vegan way. I still don’t drop pounds.
I truly think that we do have an obsession with thinness and perhaps we aren’t looking at the correct weight for height. Some of this is having an unrealistic expectation. I’ll never be as thin in my 40s as I was in my 20s, but I would love to be within what is “normal” for my height, albeit the high end. I don’t think I am going to accomplish this worrying about my weight, but I have shifted focus towards eating in the most healthy way I know how and to fight the urge to deprive my body of its nutritional needs. Having said that, no one thinks you are fit and healthy if you weigh too much! Such a dilemma…
Marie Bruemmer said,
November 2, 2006 @ 7:24 am
It’s been heartening to read all the comments about weight issues. I’m a middle-aged vegetarian and have become rather chunky the last 10 years or so. Like most everyone else who wrote, I eat a healthy diet, lots of fruit and veg, whole grains, beans, etc. I don’t get the exercise I need, though. Nava, your obsservation about the bicycles in Amsterdam probably explains the problem in a nutshell. Encouraging our communities to put in bike paths, and other incentives to exercise is probably a good idea, since we aren’t likely to be weaned from our automobiles any time soon.(In most of our communities it’s almost impossible to walk or bike to work due to distances, for example.)
Thanks for all the encouragement and good recipes you give us. (I especially like Vegetarian Express and the Vegetarian 5 Ingrediant Gourmet).
And thank you for a very interesting website!
Marie
Jennifer G said,
November 4, 2006 @ 6:13 pm
What an interesting discussion! I have been vegetarian now for approximately eight years. I wouldn’t say I struggle with weight but I’m at the high end of the normal weight range for my height, and this is after a subtle change in my vegetarian habits. In the past two years, I changed the way my diet was. I gained weight without realizing it over the course of a few years due to too much of a reliance on carbohydrates (pasta!), creamy/dairy-based sauces and junk food, and not enough attention paid to my fresh fruit and vegetables. I was also very sedentary due to the habits of my partner of the time.
My personal situation changed two years ago and I started eating more of what I wanted to (stirfries, curries, salads with soup or sandwich) and exercising every day (yoga, jogging, hand weights) and suddenly the weight started dropping off. My personal situation changed again (new job!) and I didn’t have the same luxury of being a student and maintaining my own timetable so I’ve joined a gym recently and have been doing my exercise through that venue. I’m proud to say that the weight that I gained in that relationship is gone, and I’m working on the weight that I gained in undergraduate as well! I’m on my way to becoming an “athletic” 5’7” instead of “normal”.
I do credit my vegetarianism, because it makes me more conscious of what I’m eating (also my food sensitivities prevent me from chowing down on Doritos anymore). But I think that it was the exercise that made the big difference. Even taking a 45 minute walk home from work makes me feel better after sitting at a desk all day. I’d like to think that I’m developing lifelong habits of activity and a good understanding of appropriate nutrition for my vegetarianism, which I have no intention of giving up. Most days I’m functionally vegan, but I still self-identify as lacto-ovo veg.
Thanks Nava for the blog and the site. I even used your Vegetariana last night in baking an acorn squash for dinner! Keep up the great recipe ideas, I love them!