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Vegetarian buddha bowl with blank notebook and a measuring tape to depict healthy diet for weightloss

Vegetarian diets: Will they help me lose weight?

Jan 5, 2022 - McMaster University - 12 minutes

Maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce your risk for many health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, mental illness, and cancer. In this video, Dr. Megha Poddar discusses vegetarian or plant-based diets and their potential impact on health and weight loss.

Learn the answers to the following questions:

What are the different types of vegetarian diets?
What are the health benefits?
Will you lose weight on a vegetarian diet?
When planning a plant-based diet, are there specific nutrients you should think about to ensure adequate intake?

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Oh my veggies! Can a vegetarian diet help you lose weight?

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Author Details

Anthony Levinson

Dr. Anthony J. Levinson is a Professor at McMaster University and holds the John R. Evans Chair in Health Sciences Educational Research and Instructional Development. One of the co-leaders of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, Dr. Levinson is also a psychiatrist with a special interest in medical psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. His area of research interest includes online learning to improve healthcare provider and patient education.

Author Details

Megha Poddar

Dr. Poddar is an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at McMaster University and Clinical Director of the LMC Weight Management Program. She is an endocrinologist with additional training in obesity medicine and is a co-author of the 2020 Canadian Adult Obesity Guidelines. Dr. Poddar’s clinical practice and research is focused on general endocrinology, and she has a keen interest in helping patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

References

McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. Oh my veggies! Can a vegetarian diet help you lose weight? (2018 Mar 19). Accessed November 1, 2021. Available from: https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/blog/detail/blog/2018/03/19/oh-my-veggies-can-a-vegetarian-diet-help-you-lose-weight
Huang RY, Huang CC, Hu FB, Chavarro JE. Vegetarian diets and weight reduction: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31(1):109-116.
Medawar E, Huhn S, Villringer A, et al. The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry. 2019:9(226).
Bennet WL, Appel LJ. Vegetarian diets for weight loss: How strong is the evidence? J Gen Intern Med. 2015;31:9-10.
Tran E, Dale HF, Jensen C, Lied GA. Effects of plant-based diets on weight status: A systematic review. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020;13:3433-3448.
Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(12):1970-1980.
Tuso PJ, Ismail MH, Ha BP, Bartolotto C. Nutritional update for physicians: plant-based diets. Perm J. 2013;17(2):61-66.
Barnard ND, Levin SM, Yokoyama Y. A systematic review and meta-analysis of changes in body weight in clinical trials of vegetarian diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(6):954-969.
Ng M, Fleming T, Robinson M, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. 2014; 384(9945):766-781.
Fraser GE. Vegetarian diets: What do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases? Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 89(5):1607S-1612S.

Acknowledgements

This work is supported through the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and funds provided by the Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.

DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).

Many of our Blog Posts were written before the COVID-19 pandemic and thus do not necessarily reflect the latest public health recommendations. While the content of new and old blogs identify activities that support optimal aging, it is important to defer to the most current public health recommendations. Some of the activities suggested within these blogs may need to be modified or avoided altogether to comply with changing public health recommendations. To view the latest updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada, please visit their website.

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