You may have heard people say something like "Aren't vegans are too thin? They look like they are not eating enough or are nutrient deficient."
Dr. Fuhrman's response (in his book
Disease Proof Your Child):
"We
live in a nation of overfed and overweight people, in spite of an
overwhemlming amount of information that thin people are healthier and
live longer. Most doctors are overweight and have overweight children,
just like the rest of Americans....Being thin compared to his or her
peers does not necessarily mean that your child is not the perfect
weight for him or her."
He notes:
"It is important to be
sure that the thin child is not eating sweets and junk food... It is
never wise to fill up with poor-quality, disease-causing food in an
effort to gain weight." (p. 124-5)
It's true that some vegans may actually be too thin. Vegan simply means not consuming animal products, it doesn't define what they do eat. There is a ton of vegan junk food, including fake meat & cheese products that are packed with chemicals and lots of soy (a big GMO food).
In contrast, those who follow a whole food, plant-based diet eat a very minimal amount of animal products and processed food, if any, and eat a ton of nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains. This is the way I try to eat, and this is what Dr. Furhman is referring to in his comment.
Some people may look
at me and think that I'm thin because I eat this way. These people may have only known
me since I started eating a plant based diet. They may not know that I
weigh the exact same now as I did before taking out animal products (and back then, I actually
drank
whole cow's milk along with my toddler, because I thought I was
too thin and needed more fat...what was I thinking?).
Here I am before changing my diet:
Almost a year after changing my diet (and having my second baby):
As you can see, besides the obvious difference of location, I look pretty much the same. My weight hasn't changed, yet I feel a huge difference in my overall energy level,
strength, and wellness, not to mention a mysterious and excruciating
pain that I used to get at least once a month has been completely gone
for over a year, since I stopped eating meat & dairy. That in and of
itself is a reason for me not to go back.
I am totally convinced, from
learning about the latest studies as well as from my own
experience, that
it's possible to get all the nutrition you need from a whole food, plant
based diet. I'm sure a little meat & dairy won't hurt anyone too bad if they are eating very little processed junk and refined sugar, and
consuming loads of colorful fruits & veggies, legumes, whole grains, and
healthy fats (raw nuts, seeds, avocados).
But for me, I don't want to risk that pain coming back, and my stomach doesn't feel well when I eat meat or dairy, now that I have been without it for so long. So I'm going to happily continue my whole food, plant-based diet.
It's so natural to judge each other and jump to conclusions about people without knowing all the details. I struggle with this too. But in regards to food and weight, I think it would be great if we stop thinking we know everything about everyone, and just look at each other with a desire to get to know them, and acknowledge that we don't know all the details of their lives.
So, what do you think? Do you still think vegans are too thin?
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