An article in today’s Globe and Mail discussed the benefits of a plant-based diet on the reversal of diabetes and heart disease, and the promotion of weight loss.

The article, entitled "Vegan diet has surprising stick-to-it-iveness" focuses on a study recently conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Leslie Beck writes:

“The vegan diet dramatically cut consumption of cholesterol, fat and saturated fat and increased fibre intake compared to the conventional diabetes diet. People on the vegan diet lost weight, lowered their blood sugar and LDL cholesterol, and reduced the need for diabetes medication.”

Not only that, the study concluded that switching to such a diet is not only healthy, but it’s also pretty easy!

“In a study of 250 young women who had tried both calorie-controlled weight-loss diets and vegetarian diets, most abandoned their calorie-restricted diet after four months but were able to stick with a vegetarian diet for two years.”

In February, the Toronto Vegetarian Assocition launches a monthly series of Health Eating presentations which explain how each of us can reduce and/or reverse chronic diseases through a vegetarian diet.

Don’t miss our first talk: Heart Healthy Eating presented by Nimisha Raja on February 24 at the Ontario Vegetarian Food Bank. More details coming soon!

TVA Press Release: Meat-centric diets a major culprit in growing obesity crisis

As new studies reveal the obese now outnumber the overweight, governments must do more to aggressively promote vegetarian lifestyles, according to the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Research proves vegetarians are thinner and more apt to avoid weight gain over time than meat-eaters.

Read our full press release below.

As new studies reveal the obese now outnumber the overweight, governments must do more to aggressively promote vegetarian lifestyles, according to theToronto Vegetarian Association . Research proves vegetarians are thinner and more apt to avoid weight gain over time than meat-eaters.

TORONTO - Resolutions to lose weight always start with good intentions and end in disappointment. Even with warnings from various health authorities, including the American Heart Association, dieters unwittingly put their health at risk when they undertake low carbohydrate/high-protein diets, like the infamous Atkins.

And the obesity crisis continues to escalate.  According to 2005-06 data released from the National Centre for Health Statistics, the percentage of obese in the U.S. is now 34 per cent, exceeding the overweight at 32.7 per cent for the first time.

The public perception that vegetarians and vegans are thinner than meat-eaters is more than observational. 

Several scientific studies support this.

•    A research study involving 55,000 Swedish women concluded vegetarians and vegans were significantly thinner on average than meat-eaters
•    Another five-year study concluded people who avoid animal products gain less weight over time than those who don’t 

 “Unfortunately, there are still long-standing myths, such as vegetarians being iron-deficient, which prevent dieters from turning to vegetarianism as a lasting solution to their weight problem”, states David Alexander, Director of Operations for the Toronto Vegetarian Association.  “That’s why our governments and health educators need to do more to promote the benefits of these lifestyles.”

In 2009, the TVA is committed to a focus on health education and plans many activities to support public awareness about the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets in preventing heart problems, diabetes and obesity.  The association will launch a new diabetes educational program this spring.  Obesity is the number one cause of Type 2 diabetes and it is the fastest growing preventable disease in North America.

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