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Obese Vegetarians?
This article started out as a ranting editorial more than an infomation item, but will end with a warning for vegetarians of all stripes.
A quote from Omega Protein's 2007 Annual Report stated that "one-third of all Americans are 'clinically obese and the rest are 'obese' or 'overweight' ". Now that's just an overstatement, I realize that.
As a group, vegetarians just aren't overweight, nor obese, and certainly not clinically obese! And yet they would lump everyone in one 'fat category' or another and that just ain't so.
Vegetarians don't contribute to the nation's obesity epidemic. In the minority, again -- ain't it grand?
So all those TV ads you see for weight curbing programs, diet drugs, and lunchtime liposuction -- we get to be bothered by them time and time again. But we don't have to listen to them, since they contain nothing for us!
Nevertheless, we do have our own concerns. It may not have to do with overweightedness, but it does have to do with cholesterol. Vegetarians do not have cholesterol problems -- at least according to the levels seen in the general population. But there is still a concern that our LDL (the bad stuff) levels are too high. Research findings suggest lowering the recommended LDL levels. Some studies suggest that coronary events will be substantially reduced (up to 40%) if LDL levels are reduced.
This is not the arena for self-diagnosis and treatment, but be aware that while you are eating foods that benefit your body and your world, you must also exercise. You eat well, now exercise well. That means involving as much of your body as you can. Not just walking or running -- run with cans in your hands or weights on your wrists. Wrist weights don't have to be heavy -- a pound is enough.
Or, if you like dogs, walk your or a neighbor's dogs! They'll tug on your arms and make resistance training a daily occurrence!
Be well.
