Most adolescents eat meat, poultry and fish. In fact, the vast majority of adolescents subsist on a diet that is filled with these protein-rich foods. They provide a wide variety of essential nutrients such as animal-based iron, zinc and the B vitamins.
Nevertheless, a small, but growing, minority of teens has chosen to eliminate meat from their diets. Some stop eating red meat, but continue to eat poultry and fish. Others remove red meat and poultry, but consume fish. While the exact statistics vary, only about one and one half percent of teens are believed to eat no meat, poultry or fish. These teens are vegetarians. More than three percent of teens eat no dairy products and about eight to nine percent refrain from eating eggs.
Within the broader vegetarian definition, there are a number of sub-groups. They are as follows:
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Lacto-Ovo vegetarians: eat dairy and egg products
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Ovo vegetarians: eat egg products
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Lacto vegetarians: eat dairy products
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Vegans (pronounced VEE-gn): eat no animal’s products including dairy, eggs and honey.
While adults often decide to follow a vegetarian diet to improve their overall health or combat a specific illness, teens are more likely to exclude meat for other reasons. Usually, they support animal rights and are opposed to the mistreatment of animals. They may have heard stories about the dreadful conditions animals endure at factory farms. Often, they think it is wrong to use animals for food. But they may have decided to become vegetarians for other reasons such as their religious beliefs, concern for the environment or the simple expression of independence that is frequently part of adolescence. Some may simply dislike meat. There is also the prevailing belief that vegetarians are healthier than non-vegetarians. And teens may attempt to avoid some of the medical problems their parents are already experiencing. Further, teens may be aware of the numerous reports of foodborne illnesses from animal products. They may think that staying away from animal-based food will reduce their risk. .
So what do vegetarians eat? They consume plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, grain products, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried beans and peas. Though some people contend that such a diet lacks sufficient amounts of protein, nutritionists generally disagree. One can live quite healthfully without eating any animal foods.
While different diets seem to come and go, there have probably always been vegetarians. In the west, it was the mathematician Pythagoras, born around 580 B.C., who coined the term “vegetarian.” Founded in England by Donald Watson, the vegan movement did not formally emerge until the mid-1940s.
By the 1960s and 1970s, support for vegetarian diets was growing in the U.S. Increasingly, health professionals accepted it as a valuable alternative. Before his death in 1998 at the age of ninety-four, pediatrician Benjamin Spock, MD, became a vocal advocate for the vegetarian diet. And in the final edition of his book Baby and Child Care, he advised parents to feed their children a vegetarian-based diet.
It should be noted that a vegetarian diet is not, necessarily low in fat. Full-fat dairy foods such as whole milk, cheese, cream and butter are filled with fat. Nuts, seeds, avocadoes and tofu are also high in fat. They should be eaten in moderation.
Still, studies have shown that a low-fat, vegetarian diet is useful for a number of medical problems. Among these are elevated serum cholesterol, high blood pressure, premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Generally, cancer patients are told to eat whatever they want. Some are suggesting that cancer patients who eat low-fat, vegetarian foods manage their cancer treatments with greater success and have better outcomes.
Not surprisingly, vegetarianism has its opponents. The most serious concern is that a vegetarian diet has insufficient amounts of certain crucial vitamins such as iron, zinc and B vitamins. While it is evident that vegetarians are more at risk for these vitamin deficiencies, with careful attention to their diets and necessary supplementation, they are able to obtain all their requirements.
How about calcium? Vegetarians may obtain calcium from dairy products. But vegans do not eat dairy. What do they do? Calcium is found in a number of plants including turnips, collard greens, and sea vegetables such as hijiki, nori or kelp. And it is in calcium fortified rice and soymilks, tofu, dried fruits and sesame seeds. Many people also take calcium supplements.
Yet, the amount of calcium in the diet is not only a function of calcium intake. When large amounts of protein are consumed, the absorption of calcium is impaired and calcium is excreted. So people who eat excessive quantities of dairy products, may, ironically, trigger calcium loss. On the other hand, dietary fiber is known to bind to calcium. Thus, higher fiber foods help prevent calcium depletion.
People who eat a plant-based diet are at greater risk for a B12 deficiency. What are the related medical problems? An inadequate supply of B12 may cause neurological concerns and memory disorders. It has been hypothesized that some elders who are diagnosed with memory impairments actually have a B12 deficiency. Vegans should take supplemental B12.
Is a vegetarian diet safe for children? Not everyone agrees with Dr. Spock. Some say that children are unable to eat a sufficient amount of plant-based foods to meet their nutritional requirements. And if they are on vegan diets, their intake of calcium and iron may be seriously compromised. But studies comparing the growth of vegetarian and non-vegetarian children have found that when parents provide adequate supplementation to the vegetarian or vegan diet, the children grow at similar rates. Parents should also take care to serve foods containing vitamin C; that assists in the absorption of the type of iron found in plant foods.
It should be noted that there is some evidence the teens who are vegetarians have a higher than normal incidence of eating disorders such as excessive dieting, binge eating, intentional vomiting and laxative use. And dieting is about twice as common among vegetarians as it is among non-vegetarians. That is why a vegetarian diet may serve as a marker for a potentially life-threatening eating disorder.
Related topics:
Anorexia nervosa, dieting, nutrition
