Same Calories--Differing Foods

As you may know, obesity is not just a problem in America, it is pandemic. And the problem with obesity (in addition to needing to purchase larger clothing at intervals and taking up more space in the vehicle and squeezing into the airline seat) is its linkage with more than 50 diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, forms of cancer, and dementia. Some studies have looked at participants with differing eating styles against their BMI (body mass index). They used a BMI of 30 or greater—a standard criterion for clinical obesity. Results showed that about one third of meat eaters were clinically obese, about one fourth of semi-vegetarians, slightly less than one fifth of pesco-vegetarians and lacto-ovo vegetarians, and one tenth of vegans. There was a great similarity in total average caloric intake among these groups but a large difference in the types of foods and beverages that were being ingested, which impacted their weight gain. Do the math . . .