Teen vegetarianism sparks debate
Liz Wardlow
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Feature
Chomping on a stalk of celery is acceptable for a snack, not for a meal. Experts are concerned that some teenagers are using the label "vegetarian" to eliminate calories from meat as a ploy to lose weight.
The pressures from peers to be thin and stay in shape have teenagers finding new ways to keep the weight off. Vegetarianism is the new claim to skinny fame for high school and college students but omitting meat and consuming inadequate meals seems more like an eating disorder than a diet.
The American Dietetic Association researchers studied over 2,500 young adults from the ages of 15-23, focusing on regular eating habits. They found that the vegetarians are more likely to be at a healthier weight and eat a better diet compared to an average meat eater.
However, people who claim to be vegetarians are more likely to take part in binge eating, consuming diet pills or laxatives and inducing vomiting.
"If an adolescent chooses the vegetarian lifestyle he or she must maintain a varied diet including fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes in order to achieve the balanced intake of vitamins and minerals," said Kirkwood Community College's campus nurse Lori Jeppson. "It is essential for the energy requirements placed on the body at this time in the teenagers life," she said.
But the ADA study found some young people are ignoring the nutrition and abusing vegetarianism. According to a study done by the Journal of Adolescent Health, most teenagers said they chose to be a vegetarian to lose weight and refrain from gaining it. Also teens with eating disorders are more likely to experiment with vegetarianism than any other age group.
No body part can escape the effects of eating disorders, Jeppson explained. "About half of all anorexics have low white blood cell counts and about a third are anemic. Both conditions can lower the immune system's resistance to disease, leaving a person vulnerable to infections," said Jeppson.
The pressures from peers to be thin and stay in shape have teenagers finding new ways to keep the weight off. Vegetarianism is the new claim to skinny fame for high school and college students but omitting meat and consuming inadequate meals seems more like an eating disorder than a diet.
The American Dietetic Association researchers studied over 2,500 young adults from the ages of 15-23, focusing on regular eating habits. They found that the vegetarians are more likely to be at a healthier weight and eat a better diet compared to an average meat eater.
However, people who claim to be vegetarians are more likely to take part in binge eating, consuming diet pills or laxatives and inducing vomiting.
"If an adolescent chooses the vegetarian lifestyle he or she must maintain a varied diet including fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes in order to achieve the balanced intake of vitamins and minerals," said Kirkwood Community College's campus nurse Lori Jeppson. "It is essential for the energy requirements placed on the body at this time in the teenagers life," she said.
But the ADA study found some young people are ignoring the nutrition and abusing vegetarianism. According to a study done by the Journal of Adolescent Health, most teenagers said they chose to be a vegetarian to lose weight and refrain from gaining it. Also teens with eating disorders are more likely to experiment with vegetarianism than any other age group.
No body part can escape the effects of eating disorders, Jeppson explained. "About half of all anorexics have low white blood cell counts and about a third are anemic. Both conditions can lower the immune system's resistance to disease, leaving a person vulnerable to infections," said Jeppson.
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