A new year, a new set of resolutions that we probably won't keep. Nearly everyone resolves to lost weight in the new year and this year is no different. A recent survey finds that nearly half of U.S. adults plan to start a new diet in 2025.
Which one do they plan to try? If they obey the common dictum to "follow the science," they'll no doubt go on a plant-based or vegan diet.
But, not surprisingly, that's not what most people are planning to do. Of those saying they'll start a new diet, 40% said they'll just try to eat fewer calories while 26% said they’ll go on a low-carbohydrate diet, such as keto, Atkins, or South Beach.
Only 7% said they'll begin eating a plant-based diet, despite evidence that shows it’s not only effective, but also less expensive, better for the environment, and provides protection from a variety of diseases. The survey included results from 2,174 people.
This isn't too surprising, considering that estimates of the percentage of Americans already following a vegan are as low as 2%, according to Statista.
That's unfortunate, says Rosanne Becker of the not-for-profit Physicians Committee, a health advocacy group with 17,000 physician members.
“Counting calories can be time consuming and create a negative relationship with food for some people. And low-carbohydrate diets come with a range of side effects," she said. "Research has shown that plant-based diets are effective for weight loss without purposefully restricting or counting calories. This is because plants tend to be naturally lower in calorie density and higher in fiber, which promotes a feeling of fullness.”
Numbers tell the tale
A vegan diet is not only more effective for weight loss but also reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases, Becker said, and she cited research to back up her argument:
- In the 2017 BROAD Study, obese or overweight participants in Gisborne, New Zealand, ages 35 to 70, with at least one comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes, ate a whole food, plant-based diet for six months. On average, they lost 26.6 pounds and achieved a reduction in body mass index of 4.4 percentage points. There was no significant weight loss in the control group.
- In the Physicians Committee’s 2013 GEICO study of 292 obese or overweight GEICO Insurance Company employees with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at 10 sites across the United States, participants followed either a low-fat vegan diet or no diet for 18 weeks. Those who followed a low-fat vegan diet lost an average of 9.5 pounds, significantly decreased total and LDL cholesterol, and, in individuals with diabetes, decreased hemoglobin A1c by an average of 0.7 percentage points.
- In another Physicians Committee study, from 2018, overweight individuals who followed a plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost 14.3 pounds, on average, while individuals in a control group experienced no significant change in weight.
Adds Dr. Becker: “A reason that so few people are planning to try a plant-based diet could be that they don’t know where to start.” For free resources, check out PCRM.org and sign up for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.