In a world where many are trying to control their weight or live healthier lives, a lot of people have developed what experts call “dysfunctional dietary behavior” or “disordered eating attitudes.”
These are unhealthy ways of thinking or behaving around food and body image, like starting a strict diet suddenly, fasting for too long, binge eating, or feeling guilty about eating certain foods. Such behaviors are a risk factor for serious eating disorders.
Recently, a team of researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil decided to explore how common these unhealthy attitudes are among people who follow vegan diets.
Vegan diets, which exclude all animal products, have gained popularity recently, especially among those concerned about sustainability.
Their study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, surveyed almost 1,000 people. Surprisingly, they found that only 0.6% of the vegan participants showed signs of disordered eating attitudes.
This number is much lower than the estimated 6.5% prevalence of such attitudes in the broader Brazilian population.
The researchers were curious about why people choose to be vegan. They wondered if some might use veganism as a way to avoid certain foods or social eating situations, perhaps hiding deeper issues with food.
There’s a thought in the scientific community that veganism could be a cover for dysfunctional dietary behavior or even eating disorders, as it makes it easier to restrict food.
But the study found something different. It seems that the type of diet someone follows isn’t as important as the reasons behind their dietary choices.
Professor Hamilton Roschel, who led the study, pointed out that the majority of the participants (62%) chose a vegan diet for ethical and animal rights reasons, while only 10% cited health reasons.
This focus on ethics over health could explain the low rate of disordered eating among vegans in their study. Understanding why people choose their diets is crucial for healthcare professionals to provide effective nutritional care.
The researchers used an online questionnaire to gather data from people all over Brazil. They looked at things like the participants’ background and eating habits. After analyzing the data, they could see how many vegans had dysfunctional dietary behavior.
They also looked at why people choose certain diets. The most common reasons were necessity, enjoyment, health, habits, and environmental concerns. The least common reasons were emotional control, social norms, and social image.
While the study showed that vegan diets in Brazil don’t seem to be linked to disordered eating, Professor Roschel says that more research is needed.
Future studies should include a more diverse group of people and a deeper analysis. The current study can’t prove cause and effect, but it offers a new perspective on vegan diets and mental health.
In conclusion, the study suggests that when it comes to mental health and diet, the key factor is why people choose their diets, not what diet they choose.
This finding is important for public health efforts aimed at promoting healthy eating and preventing or treating eating disorders. Vegan diets, often chosen for ethical reasons, may not carry the same risk for dysfunctional dietary behavior as previously thought.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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