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El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Studies assessing the association between vegetarianism and mental health have found divergent results. Evidence from adolescents in developing countries is scarce. To evaluate the association between a vegetarian diet and emotional symptoms in 15-year-old adolescents from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of the Young Lives cohort study was used. The exposure variable was the self-report of being a vegetarian (yes or no). The outcome was the level of emotional symptoms, numerically evaluated using the score obtained in the subscale "Emotional Symptoms" of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We calculated crude and adjusted coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), using generalized linear models of the Gaussian family, considering each sentinel site as a cluster. The analysis was stratified by country. Additionally, we made a global analysis including the four countries. A total of 3484 adolescents were analyzed. The overall prevalence of vegetarianism was 4.4%, but it varied between countries (from 0.4% in Vietnam to 11.5% in India). The average emotional symptoms score was 3.5 [standard deviation (SD) 2.3] points. The scores were not statistically different between vegetarians and non-vegetarians (p > 0.05). In the adjusted analysis, in Vietnam, vegetarians had lower emotional symptoms scores on average than non-vegetarians [β: -1.79; 95% CI: -3.05 to -0.55]. No differences were found neither in the other countries nor in the overall sample. There was no association between a vegetarian diet and emotional symptoms in the analyzed adolescents of four developing countries. / Revisión por pares

Meat consumption has been a prominent part of humanity’s dietary culture, particularly in modern, Western developed nations. However, recent research has shown that collectively reducing our consumption of animal products can have major benefits for mitigating our environmental footprint. Despite a consensus among climate scientists on its potential impact, the public does not recognize the effectiveness of this behavioral shift. Recent efforts to address this have created movements and organizations that focus on reduction of meat consumption (e.g. flexitarianism, reducetarianism, Meatless Mondays), rather than elimination of meat consumption (e.g. vegetarianism, veganism) with the intent of creating a more acceptable message, from a less stigmatized group, thereby reaching more people and resulting in greater change. However, the relative impact of these messages has not been compared in previous work. The present research investigates the perceptions of these messages and messengers to assess if there are differences in how people respond to these messages and change their intentions. Study 1 examined interpersonal communication, testing the difference between a message of giving up meat, coming from a vegetarian, and a message of reducing meat consumption, from a reducetarian. Study 2 extended Study 1, replicating the study while adding a third condition to further differentiate the effects of message and messenger using a reduction focused article from a vegetarian. Study 3 extended the previous studies to communication from NGOs with explicit goals as reducetarian or vegetarian. Across all studies, we find that people are more willing to share messages from a reducetarian perspective than a vegetarian one, people agree with that message more, and indicate that they are closer to reducing up meat consumption after reading that article.

There are several ways in which people can relate to eating or not eating animals. This essay is focussing two main strategies: Making distances and drawing borders. Today, there are several reasons for not eating meat, including environmental reasons, individual and public health reasons, ethical reasons and more. Yet, people eat more meat than ever. According to the UN, this is a major problem. In 2006 the report Livestock’s long shadow pointed out that meat consumption was a bigger problem from an environmental point of view, than global transports, including air-traffic. At the same time, western societies are becoming both more animal friendly (when it comes to companion animals) and more animal abusive (when it comes to production animals). There seems to be a lot of empathy for animals, yet people choose to hurt them, kill them and eat them. This essay, with a feministic approach, tries to reveal what mechanisms are behind this ambigous behaviour. The findings suggest that the border line between humans and animals is blurred due to several reasons. / Att äta eller inte äta djur är en fråga som det går att förhålla sig till på olika sätt. Den här uppsatsen fokuserar på två huvudstrategier: Avståndstagande och gränsdragningar. I dag finns många anledningar till att inte äta kött, till exempel miljöskäl, hälsoskäl (såväl individuella som folkhälsomässiga), etiska skäl med flera. Ändå äter jordens befolkning mer kött än någonsin. Enligt FN är det ett stort problem. Rapporten "Livestock's long shadow" som kom ut 2006, pekar ut köttkonsumtionen som ett större miljöproblem än världens samlade transporter, inklusive flygtransporter. Samtidigt, håller västerländska samhällen på att bli allt mer djurvänliga (när det handlar om sällskapsdjur) och allt mer djurfientliga (när det handlar om så kallade produktionsdjur). Det finns uppenbarligen mycket empati för djuren, ändå väljer människor att göra dem illa,  döda dem och äta dem. Den här uppsatsen försöker ur ett feministiskt perspektiv undersöka de mekanismer som ligger bakom detta ambivalenta beteende. Resultatet tyder på att gränsen mellan människa och djur är en kulturell konstruktion som håller på att suddas ut, av flera skäl.

Bakgrund Vegetarisk kosthållning blir vanligare och intresset för veganism ökar. Kosthållningen kan innebära hälsofördelar vilket är ett av motiven till veganism. Trots ökad popularitet cirkulerar fortfarande fördomar kring kosthållningen. Syfte Syftet med studien var att undersöka veganers motiv till, upplevelser av och eventuella svårigheter med kosthållningen. Syftet med studien var även att undersöka veganers uppgivna intag av frukt, grönsaker och bär, utrymmesmat, ersättningsprodukter samt kosttillskott. Metod Veganer rekryterades via Facebook där 517 veganer besvarade en webbenkät innehållande frågor om bland annat motiv till veganism, upplevda hälsoförändringar, livsmedelsintag och svårigheter. Statistiska test som användes var: Chi-två test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation coefficient och One sample Wilcoxon Ranked. Signifikansnivån sattes till p<0,05. Resultat De vanligaste motiven till veganism var etik (94,2%), miljö (60,1%) och hälsa (41,2%). Många deltagare hade upplevt positiva hälsoförändringar efter kostombytet, (77,3%) till exempel mindre mag-tarmbesvär (45,8%) och mera energi (41,8%). Deltagarna uppgav att omgivningen ofta hade åsikter om kosthållningen (p<0,001), samtidigt som de försökte inspirera omgivningen att äta växtbaserat (p<0,001). Den vanligaste svårigheten med kosthållningen var restaurangbesök (34,6%). Majoriteten av deltagarna använde sojabaserade köttersättningsprodukter (99,6%) och mjölkersättningsprodukter (99%). Kosttillskott användes frekvent (85,5%), framför allt B12 (56,3%). Slutsats Veganerna åt mera frukt, grönsaker och kosttillskott än genomsnittspopulationen. Många veganer upplevde dock svårigheter med kosthållningen. Detta kunde leda till undvikande av växtbaserad kost trots möjliga hälsofördelar. Även om det fanns hälsofördelar med kosthållningen valde majoriteten av veganer kosten av etiska skäl. Trots utmaningarna är det lättare att vara vegan idag. Till exempel är utbudet av ersättningsprodukter större än tidigare. Detta underlättar vardagen för veganer men kan dock innebära ett mindre näringsrikt matintag, vilket kan göra den veganska kosthållningen mindre fördelaktig.

abstract: According to a 2016 census, eight million adults conform to a vegetarian diet within the United States, and about 50% of these adults follow a vegan diet. The census determined that plant-based diets are quickly growing in popularity particularly in young adults between the ages of 18 to 34 years. Many Americans are aware of the health benefits of a plant-based diet, however, the dietary risks associated with these diets are not well emphasized. Health concerns such as vitamin deficiencies and altered metabolism are heightened in vegetarian populations. One Particular nutrient that is commonly lacking in the vegetarian diet is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found mainly in animal-derived food sources such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. Although some vegetarians, called lacto-ovo vegetarians, consume dairy and eggs, vegans do not consume any animal products at all. Vitamin B12 deficiency can have devastating consequences on the human body due to its role as a methylation cofactor. Metabolism, DNA replication, and cancer formation all involve methylation processes. This cross-sectional, differential study aimed to further understand the relationship between vegetarianism, vitamin B12 status, and methylation capacity in healthy adults. A group of 34 healthy adults (18 vegetarians and 16 omnivores) was recruited to analyze serum B12, homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, serum total folate, and transcobalamin II status. It was hypothesized that (1) vegetarians would have a lower vitamin B12 status, and thus, a lower methylation capacity than omnivores and that (2) low vitamin B12 status would be correlated with low methylation capacity. The data show that vegetarians did not have significantly lower vitamin B12 methylation capacity status than omnivores. Nor was vitamin B12 status correlated with methylation capacity. However, the data revealed that diet quality had a positive influence on folate status. There was also a statistical trend (p=0.08) for homocysteine reduction in participants consuming high-quality diets. The data herein suggest that methylation capacity may be impacted by the quality of diet rather than the type of diet. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2019

The production of food is responsible for large share of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. There is a wide range of emissions associated with different food-groups. In particular the production of meat from ruminants causes higher emissions compared to plant-based food. This study compared two different types of meat-free diets (ovo-lacto-vegetarian and vegan) in Sweden and the emission of greenhouse gases that are connected to the aliment and beverages that are consumed in these diets. Dietary records were used to obtain real data on what food is consumed on a weekly basis. On average the food consumed by the vegan sample caused lower emissions that the food consumed by the vegetarian sample. The average vegan diet caused 591 kg CO2e per year whereas the average vegetarian diet caused 761 kg CO2e. The annual difference is thus 170 kg. These findings are in line with existing research although recent studies often used hypothetical diets instead of real data.

This pilot study assessed the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a novel approach to facilitating dietary change and weight loss in obese adults by presenting vegan environmental, health and farm animal treatment information in a 6 week, group-based, educational nutrition program (called a vegan healthy eating program). Twenty-nine (29) medically stable, obese adults were recruited from 3 ambulatory care clinics at UCSF and enrolled using partial randomization into one of two serially occurring intervention groups (Group 1 n=14, followed by Group 2 n=15). A delayed intervention control group (n=9) was used, consisting of participants enrolled in Group 2 who were available for collection of baseline measures prior to the start of Group 1s intervention. All intervention participants provided data immediately following their vegan healthy eating program (2 months post baseline) and again at 3 and 9 months post baseline. 10% of initial contacts (29 patients) met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were enrolled; 25 participants were retained at 3 months, 20 at 9 months. Mean intervention session satisfaction as measured by anonymous surveys using a 1-7 Likert scale (1=extremely unsatisfied, 7=extremely satisfied) was 6.2 (SD=1.1). Statistically significant reductions in calories from animal products, percent fat, cholesterol and increases in the recommended food score, fruits and vegetable servings were observed within the intervention group only, at all timepoints. Mean weight change was +2.8 lbs (3.0, n=8, p=0.035) in control participants after 4.3 weeks, and -3.4 lbs (5.0, n=25, p=0.002), -5.9 lbs (7.7, n=25, p=0.001), and -8.8 lbs (14.2, n=20, p=0.012) after 7.3, 15.6 and 41.7 weeks in intervention participants, respectively. In conclusion, this vegan healthy eating program demonstrated good feasibility, high satisfaction, and facilitated a shift towards a plant-based diet and modest, progressive short-term weight loss among intervention participants.

ARAÚJO, Márcia Assunção. Itinerância no Ashram: alimentando corpo e alma na Brahma Kumaris. 2012. 285f. – Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Sociologia, Fortaleza (CE), 2012. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-06-15T14:03:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_tese_maaraujo.pdf: 3318636 bytes, checksum: dc2e21ad4f7ac15aeac50ed200024ea2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-06-15T14:11:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_tese_maaraujo.pdf: 3318636 bytes, checksum: dc2e21ad4f7ac15aeac50ed200024ea2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-15T14:11:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_tese_maaraujo.pdf: 3318636 bytes, checksum: dc2e21ad4f7ac15aeac50ed200024ea2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / The present study inquires into cognitive and symbolic perceptions of individuals from the town of Fortaleza who adopt a vegetarian diet for religious motivations. They belong to a yoga line, in scope of the new religious movements. This study took place in the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University – BKWSU, in the aforementioned city, between the years 2007 and 2011, and used as methodological tools participant observation and semi-structured interviews with students and professors of this spiritual movement with a neo-hindu face. Initial interest was to understand foodrelated representations and practices, but as the research went on, the existence of a semantic confluence between religious sentiment and food became evident, both converging to the construction of a brahmin life regimen. So, food has its meaning widened and is considered here as a sign/metaphor to think the body and soul relationship, suggested by the behavior code – maryadas – of this spiritual movement. For the participants of this group, forms of thinking, feeling and seeing the world are the expression of a collective belonging, which is, at the same time, subjectified and resignified in terms of the self-improvement process and sacralisation of the world. / O presente estudo investigou as percepções cognitivas e simbólicas de indivíduos que adotam práticas alimentares vegetarianas por motivações religiosas, na cidade de Fortaleza, pertencentes a uma linha de yoga no âmbito dos novos movimentos religiosos. Este estudo teve como cenário a Universidade Espiritual Mundial Brahma Kumaris – BKWSU, na referida cidade, entre os anos de 2007 e 2011, e utilizou como recursos metodológicos a observação participante e entrevistas semiestruturadas com alunos e professores deste movimento espiritual de cariz neo-hindu. Inicialmente, interessava compreender as representações e as práticas relacionadas com a alimentação, mas ao longo da pesquisa ficou evidente a existência de uma confluência semântica entre o sentimento religioso e alimentação, ambos concorrendo para a construção de um regime de vida brahmin. Assim, o alimento tem seu sentido alargado e é tomado aqui como signo/metáfora para se pensar a relação corpo e alma sugerida pelo código de condutas – maryadas – deste movimento espiritual. As formas de pensar, sentir e ver o mundo dos participantes deste grupo são expressão de uma pertença coletiva que é, ao mesmo tempo, subjetivada e ressignificada em termos do processo de aperfeiçoamento de si e de sacralização do mundo.

abstract: Diet quality is closely intertwined with overall health status and deserves close examination. Healthcare providers are stretched thin in the current stressed system and would benefit from a validated tool for rapid assessment of diet quality. The Rapid Eating and Activity Assessment for Participants Short Version (REAP-S) represents one such option. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the REAP-S and Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) for scoring the diet quality of omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan diets. Eighty-one healthy male and female subjects with an average age of 30.9 years completed the REAP-S as well as a 24-hour dietary recall. REAP-S and HEI-2010 scores were calculated for each subject and evaluated against each other using Spearman correlations and Chi Square. Further analysis was completed to compare diet quality scores of the HEI-2010 and REAP-S by tertiles to examine how closely these two tools score diet quality. The mean HEI-2010 score was 47.4/100 and the mean REAP-S score was 33.5/39. The correlation coefficient comparing the REAP-S to the HEI-2010 was 0.309 (p=0.005), and the REAP-S exhibited a precision of 44.4% to the HEI-2010 for diet quality. The REAP-S significantly correlated with the HEI-2010 for whole fruit (r=0.247, p=0.026), greens and beans (r=0.276, p=0.013), seafood proteins (r=0.298, p=0.007), and fatty acids (r=0.400, p<0.001). When evaluated by diet type, the REAP-S proved to have increased precision in plant-based diets, 50% for vegetarian and 52% for vegan, over omnivorous diets (32%). The REAP-S is a desirable tool to rapidly assess diet quality in the community setting as it is significantly correlated to the HEI-2010 and requires less time, labor and money to score and assess than the HEI-2010. More studies are needed to evaluate the precision and validity of REAP-S in a broader, more diverse population. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2015