When evaluating a group of almost a thousand vegans, researchers from USP observed a prevalence of dysfunctional eating behaviors almost ten times lower than the average for the Brazilian population.
Motivated by the desire to control their weight or achieve good shape, a significant portion of the population presents dysfunctional behaviors, thoughts or feelings in relation to food and their body – this is what experts call “dysfunctional eating behavior” or “disordered eating”. , a risk factor for the development of eating disorders.
This group includes people who adopt restrictive diets impulsively, those who undergo long fasts or overeat, as well as individuals who feel guilty when eating certain foods.
A group of researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) decided to investigate the prevalence of dysfunctional eating behaviors among followers of the vegan diet, which has become quite popular in times of sustainability.
According to results published in the JAMA Network Open magazine, only 0,6% of almost a thousand participants presented “disordered eating”, a figure ten times lower than the 6,5% observed in the Brazilian population in general.
The authors explain that the objective of the study was to verify whether there was an association between dysfunctional eating behaviors and the choice of this type of diet.
Vegan diet
The hypothesis put forward in the literature is that the vegan diet could be used to legitimize the rejection of certain foods or certain situations related to food, camouflaging possible signs of dysfunctional eating behavior or even eating disorders.
“However, the results of the study remove this weight from the vegan diet, as they indicate that the presence of dysfunctional eating behaviors is more associated with the reasons that led to the adoption of a certain diet than with the type of diet itself”, says the professor Hamilton Roschel, who coordinates the Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group at USP.
According to him, the fact that 62% of participants reported concerns about “ethics and animal rights” as motivation to adhere to a vegan diet – while only 10% mentioned “health reasons” – helps to explain the low prevalence of dysfunctional eating behaviors in the studied group.
“Understanding the motivations for adopting a diet, as well as the reasons for patients’ food choices, helps us to develop more focused and efficient nutritional care programs,” he says.
Methodology
More than 60% of participants reported concerns about “ethics and animal rights” as motivation for adhering to a vegan diet. Photo: Pixabay
Using an online questionnaire, USP researchers collected sociodemographic information (such as education, income and geolocation, among others) and evaluated the food consumption of 971 people over 18 years of age from across the country.
With all the data in hand, it was possible to observe what percentage of vegan dieters exhibited “dysfunctional eating behaviors” and, consequently, were at greater risk for developing eating disorders.
In a second stage, the study financed by FAPESP analyzed the determinants of participants' food choices. The reasons “need and hunger”, “like”, “health”, “habits” and “natural concerns” were the most important for this population. “Emotion control”, “social norms” and “social image” were the least important.
“Naturally we need to assess nutritional adequacy and possible deficiencies in restrictive diets, but when it comes to mental health, it is clear that the most important thing is to understand what led each person to make their choice in order to monitor it and, if necessary, refer it properly”, says Roschel.
“These data can also help tailor public interventions focused on promoting healthy eating and preventing or treating eating disorders.”
The researcher highlights the importance of additional studies with more heterogeneous probabilistic samples, which include qualitative assessments. And he warns that, as it follows a transversal model, the work does not allow us to infer causality.
The investigation was conducted by the Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, which brings together scientists from the Faculty of Medicine (FM-USP) and the School of Physical Education and Sport (EEFE-USP), and was led by researchers Bruna Caruso Mazzolani and Fabiana Infante Smaira. Bruno Gualano, Gabriel P. Esteves, Martin Hindermann Santini, Alice Erwig Leitão and Heloísa Santo André collaborated.
The article Disordered Eating Attitudes and Food Choice Motives Among Individuals Who Follow a Vegan Diet in Brazil can be read at:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2806586.
Source: Julia Moióli/ Agência FAPESP