Research Round-up: Vegetarians Gain Less Weight
By Heather Bauer, RD, CDN | March 2007 | SUBSCRIBE | VIEW ARCHIVE

Scientists at the University of Oxford found that vegetarians are less likely to gain weight than their meat-eating counterparts. The study compared the diets of 21,966 British men and women from 1994-1999, and then followed up with the participants from 2000-2003. They found that weight gain was somewhat smaller in vegans and fish-eaters as compared to meat-eaters. What is more pertinent, however, is that the study revealed individuals who changed from meat-eating to the direction of fish-eating, vegetarian, or vegan, showed the smallest amount of weight gain. Though it is not conclusive as to why the change caused the smallest weight gain, it does seem clear that including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may help maintain your waistline.