how thoughtful

Vegetarians are less healthy and have a
lower quality of life than meat-eaters,
scientists say
Controversial study suggests non-
meat eaters are more at risk of physical
and mental illness, despite leading
healthier lifestyles
More vegetarian and vegan options are
now available for consumers


Vegetarians are less healthy than meat-
eaters, a controversial study has
concluded, despite drinking less, smoking
less and being more physically active than
their carnivorous counterparts.
A study conducted by the Medical
University of Graz in Austria found that
the vegetarian diet, as characterised by
intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-
grain products, appeared to carry
elevated risks of cancer, allergies and
mental health problems such as
depression and anxiety.
The study used data from the Austrian
Health Interview Survey to examine the
dietary habits and lifestyle differences
between meat-eaters and vegetarians.
The 1320 subjects were matched
according to their age, sex, and
socioeconomic status and included 330
vegetarians, 330 that ate meat but still a
lot of fruits and vegetables, 300 normal
eaters but that ate less meat, and 330 on a
more meat-heavy diet.
It found that vegetarians consumed less
alcohol and had lower body mass
indexes, but were still in a poorer state of
physical and mental health overall.
Participants who ate less meat also
showed a tendency to avoid attending
doctors appointment for preventative
measures such as vaccines, the authors
found.
A table of results from the study carried out by
the Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology
(IFES) at the Medical University (Med-Uni) in
Graz, Austria.
It concluded: “Our study has shown that
Austrian adults who consume a vegetarian
diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer,
allergies, and mental health disorders),
have a lower quality of life, and also
require more medical treatment.”
The study’s authors have already
defended the research against claims that
their work is simply an advertisement for
the meat industry.
Study coordinator and epidemiologist
Nathalie Burkert told The Austrian Times :
“We have already distanced ourselves
from this claim as it is an incorrect
interpretation of our data.
We did find that vegetarians suffer more
from certain conditions like asthma,
cancer and mental illnesses than people
that eat meat as well, but we cannot say
what is the cause and what is the effect.
“There needs to be further study done
before this question can be answered.