A recent study indicates that teen vegetarians are more interested in losing weight than realizing the health benefits of a meatless diet, saving the environment, or protecting animals.
The study, led by nutritionist Ramona Robison-O'Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, found that 25 percent of young “vegetarians” still eat white-meat chicken, and 46 percent eat fish. In addition, 20 percent reported binge-eating behaviors, and 25 percent reported using extreme weight-loss measures.
The authors of the study recommend that parents and doctors be extra vigilant when a teen suddenly decides to become vegetarian, as it may be an effort to camouflage unhealthy eating behaviors.
(Source: www.time.com)
Labels: eating disorder, vegetarians
Posted By: Staff Writer