Bakgrund Vegetarisk mat har både miljö-och hälsomässiga fördelar. Kostmönster formas i tidig ålder och hemmet har visat sig kunna påverka barns inställning till vegetarisk mat, beroende på vilka livsmedel som finns i hemmet samt hur familjen konsumerar och förhåller sig till den. Att skolan erbjuder vegetarisk mat har också visat sig kunnat påverka elevernas inställning till den typen av måltid i positiv riktning. Syfte Studiens syfte var att undersöka högstadieelevers konsumtion av och inställning till vegetarisk mat, samt om det fanns skillnader mellan könen vad gäller konsumtion respektive inställning. Studien syftade även till att undersöka eventuella samband mellan inställningen till vegetarisk mat, konsumtionen av vegetarisk mat i hemmet samt tillgängligheten av vegetarisk mat i skolan. Metod Undersökningen genomfördes via en webbenkät som delades ut till högstadieelever på två utvalda skolor i Västerbotten under våren 2017. De insamlade enkätsvaren (n=104) analyserades med Chi2-test, med signifikansnivån p <0,05. Resultat Tjejer åt vegetarisk mat i större utsträckning, både i hemmet (p=0,010) och i skolan (p=0,039).  Deltagare som åt vegetarisk mat i hemmet var också mer positivt inställda till den typen av mat. I skolan där vegetarisk mat fanns tillgängligt för alla, var eleverna också mer positivt inställda till den. Slutsats Slutsatsen är att både skolan och familjen har möjlighet att påverka unga människors konsumtion och inställning till vegetarisk mat. Det finns dock många andra faktorer som kan påverka barn och ungdomars måltidsval och därför bör fler studier göras inom detta område. / Background Vegetarian food has both environmental and health benefits. Dietary patterns are formed at an early age. It has been shown that the home environment influence children's attitudes toward vegetarian meals, depending on the food that is available at home and how the family consume and relate to it. The schools who offers vegetarian meals has also proved to influence students’ attitudes towards that type of meals in a positive direction. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate primary school students’ consumption of and attitudes towards vegetarian food, and if there are any differences between the sexes in terms of consumption and attitude. The study also aimed to examine possible associations between attitudes towards vegetarian food, the consumption of vegetarian food at home and the availability of vegetarian meals in school. Method The survey was conducted through an online questionnaire that was distributed to primary school students from two selected schools in Västerbotten, during spring 2017. The responses (n=104) were analyzed with Chi2 square test, with the significant level of p < 0.05. Results Girls ate vegetarian food more widely both at home (p=0,010) and at school (p=0,039). Students who ate vegetarian food at home were also more positive about that type of meal. In the school where the vegetarian food was available to everybody, the students were also more positive to this type of food. Conclusion Our conclusion is that both school and family can influence children’s and young people’s consumption of and attitudes toward vegetarian food. However, many other factors that can affect children’s and young people’s food choices and therefore must more studies be done.

Dietas vegetarianas oferecem baixo conteúdo calórico, baixos níveis de gordura saturada, colesterol, proteína animal e mais altos de gordura polinsaturada, carboidratos, fibras, magnésio, boro, folato e antioxidantes. Todos esses nutrientes influenciam nos fatores de risco de doenças cardiovasculares como hipertensão arterial, diabetes mellitus, obesidade e dislipidemias. Níveis plasmáticos de colesterol total, colesterol de lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL), de lipoproteína de densidade muito baixa (VLDL) e triglicérides em indivíduos vegetarianos são menores, em vários estudos, quando comparados a indivíduos onívoros. O metabolismo de quilomícrons (Qm) e dos seus produtos de degradação pela lipase lipoprotéica, os remanescentes, lipoproteínas que transportam os lípides da dieta na circulação sanguínea, não foi avaliado até o momento e está relacionado à aterosclerose. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a cinética plasmática de quilomícrons artificiais marcados com triglicérides (TG-3H) e éster de colesterol (EC-14C) e aspectos qualitativos da HDL, em 18 indivíduos ovolacto-vegetarianos (excluem da alimentação carne, frango e peixe), 21 indivíduos veganos (não consomem nenhum alimento de origem animal), há pelo menos 5 anos e 29 indivíduos onívoros (consomem alimentos de origem animal), todos normolipidêmicos, não diabéticos e sem uso de medicamentos hipolipemiantes. Após a injeção endovenosa dos Qm artificias, foram colhidas amostras de sangue em tempos pré-estabelecidos durante 60 minutos. A radioatividade em cada uma das amostras foi medida para o cálculo da taxa fracional de remoção (TFR) dos lípides radioativos, através de análise compartimental. Foram realizadas as determinações bioquímicas nesses indivíduos e calculada a atividade da lipase lipoprotéica pós-heparina, em ensaio in vitro. Verificou-se também a transferência de lípides de uma nanoemulsão lipídica para a lipoproteína de alta densidade (HDL) e o diâmetro dessa lipoproteína. A remoção plasmática dos remanescentes de quilomícrons avaliada pela taxa fracional de remoção do éster de colesterol da emulsão, foi maior nos veganos (p<0,05) e ovolacto-vegetarianos (p<0,05) comparando-se aos onívoros, enquanto que o processo de lipólise dos quilomícrons, avaliado pela taxa fracional de remoção dos triglicérides da emulsão e pela medida da atividade da lipase lipoprotéica in vitro foi similar nos três grupos avaliados. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nas concentrações plasmáticas de HDLC, VLDL e triglicérides entre os grupos estudados .No grupo vegano, as concentrações plasmáticas de LDL-C e glicose foram menores quando comparadas apenas ao grupo dos onívoros (p<0,05, p<0,01; respectivamente). Já em relação ao colesterol total, os indivíduos veganos apresentaram menores níveis quando comparados tanto aos ovolacto-vegetarianos (p<0,05) como aos onívoros (p<0,01). Não observou-se diferença na transferência de lípides da nanoemulsão para a HDL e no tamanho da HDL entre os três grupos. Os resultados do presente estudo sugerem que a dieta vegana e ovolacto-vegetariana aceleram a remoção dos remanescentes de quilomícrons, lipoproteínas aterogênicas, o que pode estar relacionado, aos efeitos benéficos dessa dieta em relação a doenças em relação ao processo aterosclerótico / Vegetarian diets provide less caloric content, low levels of saturated fats, cholesterol and animal protein while providing at the same time providing high levels of polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates, fibers, magnesium, borium, folate and antioxidants. All these nutrients have an influence upon the cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and dyslipidemias. Studies have shown that total cholesterol plasmatic levels, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides in vegetarian individuals are lower when compared to omnivores individuals. Chylomicron metabolism (Qm) and its lipoprotein lipase degradation products, the remnants, lipoproteins that transport dietary lipids in the blood has not yet been evaluated, although it is related to atherosclerosis. This study evaluated the plasmatic kinetics of artificial chylomicrons marked with triglycerides (3HTG) and cholesterol esters (14C-CE), as well as the qualitative aspects of HDL in 13 ovolacto-vegetarians (no ingestion of meat, chicken or fish), 10 vegan individuals (no ingestion of any food of animal origin) for more than 5 years and 14 omnivores individuals (ingestion of animal origin foods). All participants were normolipidemic, non diabetic and using no hypolipemiants medication. After an intravenous injection containing artificial Qms, blood samples were collected during 60 minutes at predetermined times. The radioactivity of each sample was measured and the fractional clearance rate (FCR) calculated for the radioactive lipids using compartmental analysis. Biochemical determinations were undertaken in order to calculate the post-heparin lipoprotein lipase activity in vitro. Also evaluated were the lipid transfer of the lipid nanoemulsion to the HDL and the diameter of the HDL particles. The plasma removal of the chylomicron remnants evaluated by the fractional clearance rate of the cholesteryl ester of the emulsion was greater in the vegan (p<0,05) and ovolacto-vegetarian (p<0,05) groups when compared to the omnivore group. The lipolysis of the chylomicron evaluated by the fractional clearance rate of the emulsion triglycerides and by the in vitro lipoprotein lipase activity assay was similar in the three studied groups. There were no differences in the plasma concentrations of HDL-C, VLDL-C and triglycerides between the three groups. The plasma concentrations of LDL-C and glucose of the vegan group were lower than omnivore group (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). In regards to total cholesterol, vegans present lower levels when compared to both ovolactovegetarians (p<0.05) and omnivores (p<0.01). No difference was found in the transfer of nanoemulsion lipids to HDL or in the size of the HDL of all three groups. These results suggest that the vegetarian diet can improve the metabolism of chylomicron remnants, atherogenic lipoproteins, which can be related to the beneficial effects of this diet upon the atherosclerosis process.

<p>The overall purpose of this study is to examine what consequences might be connected to Swedish meat consumption. To illustrate this, the production chain of beef meat, produced in Brazil and consumed in Sweden, has been mapped and investigated. The analytical focus of this study has been on power distribution within the chain, aiming to outline its socio-economic consequences in the Brazilian context. The empirical data was collected partly from secondary sources, but also from primary sources through interviews with key informants in the buyer-end of the production chain. The Global Value Chain approach served as a methodology for mapping the production chain and as a theoretical device for analysing the embedded power structures.</p><p>The main result, besides an overview of the beef production chain, was an identification of the chain as buyer-driven. Power is particularly concentrated around supermarket chains, which have very specific requirements on production and processing, implemented by the importing firms, thus also having a huge influence. Power concentration was also discovered in the levels of farming and processing, where the number of acting units declines frequently. The Swedish beef consumption thus seems to contribute, however small-scaled, to the process of power concentration along the chain of production, making market entrance a scarce asset. Potential socio-economic consequences of this process, besides unequal access to influence, might be longer travels or changed city of residence for workers, or even employment losses due to inadequate education. Low-income consumers might become vulnerable since cheap low-quality meat becomes inaccessible. Moreover, this thesis has also raised additional questions, suitable for further research, regarding the impacts of Swedish meat consumption.</p>

The overall purpose of this study is to examine what consequences might be connected to Swedish meat consumption. To illustrate this, the production chain of beef meat, produced in Brazil and consumed in Sweden, has been mapped and investigated. The analytical focus of this study has been on power distribution within the chain, aiming to outline its socio-economic consequences in the Brazilian context. The empirical data was collected partly from secondary sources, but also from primary sources through interviews with key informants in the buyer-end of the production chain. The Global Value Chain approach served as a methodology for mapping the production chain and as a theoretical device for analysing the embedded power structures. The main result, besides an overview of the beef production chain, was an identification of the chain as buyer-driven. Power is particularly concentrated around supermarket chains, which have very specific requirements on production and processing, implemented by the importing firms, thus also having a huge influence. Power concentration was also discovered in the levels of farming and processing, where the number of acting units declines frequently. The Swedish beef consumption thus seems to contribute, however small-scaled, to the process of power concentration along the chain of production, making market entrance a scarce asset. Potential socio-economic consequences of this process, besides unequal access to influence, might be longer travels or changed city of residence for workers, or even employment losses due to inadequate education. Low-income consumers might become vulnerable since cheap low-quality meat becomes inaccessible. Moreover, this thesis has also raised additional questions, suitable for further research, regarding the impacts of Swedish meat consumption.

Lifestyle medicine is the use of lifestyle interventions in the prevention, treatment and management of disease. A faith-based community, which is the subject of much health lifestyle research, is the focus of this study. The Seventh-day Adventist church has promoted a healthy lifestyle, including a plant-based diet, since its foundation in 1863. Research shows that Adventists are much healthier and live significantly longer than the general population. Adventist vegetarians are even more healthy, and live about five years longer than non-vegetarians. The present study was designed to investigate how church leaders relate to the Adventist health lifestyle, and to what extent information about the benefits of adopting this lifestyle is communicated to church members in Sweden. Survey interviews with specific health-related lifestyle questions were used to collect the data. 60% of the respondents reported being vegetarian or vegan. Many agreed that pastors should be health educators as much as gospel preachers, but a majority did not have any academic or other education on health. Only a minority stated that they often preach or share the Adventist health message, but most respondents agreed that every church should be a school of health. The educational program for pastors and other church leaders should include adequate training and experience in health and lifestyle medicine from a faith-based perspective. Seventh-day Adventists should be the first to take full advantage of an evidence-based healthy lifestyle and live as examples to others.

Bakgrund: Livsmedelsverket har tidigare inte rekommenderat vegankost till barn trots undersökningar som visar att en kost innehållande mycket vegetabilier minskar risken för flera välfärdssjukdomar, och att animaliskt fett ofta är en bidragande orsak till dessa sjukdomar. Med en vegansk kost finns risker för bristfälliga intag av fullvärdigt protein, Vitamin B12, D, kalcium, järn och alfa- linolensyra, men det finns också studier som visar att veganbarn får i sig tillräckligt av alla näringsämnen, samt att de flesta föräldrar är medvetna om att maten bör berikas med speciellt vitamin B12. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att jämföra två veckomatsedlar, en vegansk och en blandkost med avseende på näringsinnehåll, kostnad samt innehåll av frukt och grönsaker. Ett annat syfte var att låta förskolebarn provsmaka veganska mellanmål. Metod: En veckas blandkostmatsedel från en förskola i Umeå närings- och kostnadsberäknades och jämfördes med en komponerad vegansk matsedel och med Nordiska näringsrekommendationer, NNR. En av förskolans avdelningar, med 13 barn, fick därefter provsmaka veganska mellanmål. Resultat: Innehållet utav frukt och grönsaker var mer än dubbelt så hög i den veganska matsedeln än i blandkostmatsedeln. Andelen energigivande näringsämnen och fiberinnehållet var i båda kosterna i linje med rekommenderat intag. Dock var andelen fleromättat fett under NNR i blandkostmatsedeln och enkelomättat fett något under NNR för båda kosterna. Vitamin D, natrium samt selen låg under rekommenderat intag i både den veganska och blandkostmatsedeln. Det gjorde också retinolekvivalenterna i den veganska och järnintaget i blandkostmatsedeln. Bland de 13 barnen som hade tre röster var, en för vardera mellanmål, ogillade sammanlagt 17 röster de tre mellanmålen, elva röster gillade dem, och tio tyckte att de var någonstans mittemellan. Blandkostmatsedeln kostade 0.07 kronor per kcal och den veganska matsedeln 0.09 kronor per kcal. Slutsats: Fördelningen utav de energigivande näringsämnena låg för båda matsedlarna inom ramen för rekommendationerna. Vid planering av både blandkost och vegetarisk kost bör dock innehållet av vitamin D och selen observeras. Den veganska matsedeln innehöll mer frukt och grönsaker än blandkostmatsedeln. Kostnaden var i princip densamma för båda matsedlarna. En längre testperiod utav mellanmålen skulle kunna ge annorlunda resultat, då barnens preferenser förändras ju fler gånger samma livsmedel smakas på. / Background: The National food agency in Sweden, who gives out the nutrition recommendations, has previously not recommend vegan diet for children despite studies showing both that a diet containing a lot of plant foods reduces the risk of multiple welfare diseases, and that animal fat is often a contributing factor to these diseases. It can be risks for a deficient intake of complete protein, alpha- linolenic acid, vitamin B12 and D, and the minerals calcium and iron with a vegan diet. Some studies also showing that vegan children get enough of all the nutrients. It´s likewise studies that show that vegan children may satisfy enough of all nutrients, and that most parents are aware of the food to be fortified with vitamin B12. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare two weekly meal plans, one vegan and one omnivore meal plan regarding nutrient content, cost and the content of fruit and vegetables. A further aim was to let preschoolers taste vegan snacks. Method: The nutrition content and cost was calculated for a one week omnivorous menu from a preschool in Umeå, and compared with a composed vegan menu and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, NNR. One of the four sections in the preschool, with 13 children, was then aloud to taste and evaluate vegan snack based on their five senses. Results: The study showed that the content of fruit and vegetables was more than twice higher in the vegan menu than in the omnivorous menu. The content of energizing nutrients and the content of fiber were in both menus in line with the recommendations. However, the content of polyunsaturated fat was under the recommendations in the omnivorous menu, and the monounsaturated fat slightly below the recommendations in both of the menus. Vitamin D, sodium and selenium were below the recommended intake in both the vegan and the omnivorous meal plan. Even did retinol in the vegan meal plan and iron in the omnivorous meal plan. Among the 13 children who had three votes each, one for each snack, 17 votes disliked the three snacks, eleven votes liked them. Ten thought they were somewhere in between. The cost of the omnivorous menu was 0.07 Swedish kronor per kcal and the vegan menu 0.09 Swedish kronor per kcal. Conclusion: The distribution of the most energizing nutrients was for both of the meals in the context of the recommendations. When planning both diet and vegetarian and vegan diet, the content of vitamin D and selenium should be observed. The vegan menu contained more fruits and vegetables than the omnivorous menu. The cost was in principle the same for both of the meal plans. A longer test period of the snacks could give different results, because the children's preferences change the more times the same food product is testing.

Inledning – Enligt skollagen ska skollunch som serveras vara näringsriktig. En undersökning som gjorts visade att 60 % av skolluncherna inte lever upp till denna lag. Hur den vegetariska skollunchen förhåller sig till denna lag och NNR 2012 har därför undersökts, samt hur elever och köksansvariges attityd till den vegetariska skollunchen ser ut. Syfte – Syftet är att undersöka om vegetariska skollunchers energi- och näringsinnehåll lever upp till NNR 2012 i en kommun i södra Sverige. Ett andra syfte är att undersöka hur attityderna till den vegetariska skollunchen är bland elever och hos en köksansvarig på en skola i södra Sverige. Material och metod – För att besvara syftet har en kvantitativ- och en kvalitativ metod använts. Vegetariska skolluncher (N=20) har energi- och näringsvärdesberäknats med hjälp av Dietist Net, därefter har ett medelvärde av energi- och näringsvärdena från samtliga luncher jämförts med NNR 2012. En standardavvikelse har också beräknats. Skolelever från årskurs 9 samt skolans köksansvarige har intervjuats. Intervjuerna har följt en semi-strukturerad karaktär där ljudet från intervjuerna spelats in, därefter har materialet transkriberats ordagrant och analyserats. Resultat – De vegetariska skolluncherna har en fördelning av energigivande näringsämnen som följer NNR 2012, däremot finns brister av enskilda vitaminer och mineraler samt brister avseende energiintaget. De vitaminer och mineraler som undersökts är protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, järn, kalcium och selen. Utifrån de intervjuer som gjorts kan ett negativt attitydmönster kring den vegetariska skollunchen urskiljas bland pojkar och köksansvarige. Flickornas attityd upplevdes som mer positiv. Slutsats – Den berörda kommunens vegetariska skollunchers fördelning av energigivande näringsämnen i (E%) följer NNR 2012. Däremot finns brister avseende vitamin- och mineralintaget, samt brister avseende energiintaget. Utifrån den kvalitativa undersökningen kan ingen slutsats dras då undersökningen begränsats. Dock tyder vårt material på att eleverna från den undersökta skolan har en attityd till de vegetariska skolluncherna som skiljer sig åt mellan flickor och pojkar; pojkar är mer negativa. Skolans köksansvarige uppfattades också ha en negativ attityd till den vegetariska skollunchen. Då undersökningen begränsats till ett litet material är resultatet inte generaliserbart men väl hypotesgenererande för fortsatt forskning. / Introduction – According to the school law, the school lunches must be nutritious. However, survey carried out shows that 60 % of school lunches do not follow this law. Hence, it is important to study how the vegetarian school lunch relates to this law and NNR 2012, also the attitude among students and kitchen manager towards the vegetarian school meal. Aims – The aim is to investigate whether a municipality in southern Sweden vegetarian school lunches energy and nutrient lives up to NNR 2012. A second objective is to examine how attitudes to the vegetarian school lunch looks among students and in one kitchen manager of a school in southern Sweden. Materials and Methods – A quantitative and a qualitative method have been chosen. The energy and nutrient content of the school lunches were calculated using Dietist Net and then a means of nutritional values from the calculation from all lunches has been compared with NNR 2012. Students from year 9 and the kitchen manager were interviewed; the interviews were semi-structured. The audio from the interviews was recorded and then the material has been transcribed and analyzed. Results – The vegetarian lunches have a good composite distribution of energy from the macronutrients, flaws with regard to the individual vitamins and minerals. The vitamins and minerals that have been investigated are protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, calcium and selenium. Based on the interviews conducted, it is noted that the attitude to the vegetarian school lunches is negative among the boys who were interviewed, even the kitchen manager had a negative attitude towards the vegetarian school lunch. The girls attitude was perceived as positive. Conclusion – The vegetarian meals served in this school in a municipality in southern Sweden fulfills the requirements of NNR 2012 concerning the distribution of energizing nutrients (E%). There are deficiencies concerning vitamin and mineral intake, as well as deficiencies in energy intake. Based on the qualitative survey no conclusion can be drawn on which the investigation is limited. Our material indicates that the students from the examined school have an attitude to the vegetarian school lunches that differ between boys and girls; boys are more negative. The kitchen manager was also perceived to have a negative attitude to the vegetarian school lunch. The survey is limited which does not make the result generalizable but generate hypotheses for further research.

Die Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit drei Religionsgemeinschaften in Taiwan, die spätestens seit der japanischen Kolonialzeit (1895-1945) unter der Bezeichnung „vegetarische Sekten“ (Zhaijiao) klassifiziert werden. Auffälligstes Merkmal dieser Gruppen war und ist das der Mahāyāna-buddhistischen Tradition entlehnte Gebot vegetarischer Ernährung. Während sich der chinesische Mönchsorden von Beginn an Anfeindungen ausgesetzt sah, welche die tatsächliche Befolgung des vegetarischen Gebots in Frage stellten, waren es oft nicht-monastische Gruppierungen außerhalb des klerikalen Machtmonopols, welche dieses und andere Gebote scheinbar viel strikter befolgten. Zu diesem Kreis „außerbuddhistischer Buddhisten“ zählen die in dieser Studie untersuchten Religionsgemeinschaften Longhuapai („Sekte der Drachenblume“), Xiantianpai („Sekte des früheren Himmels“) und Jintongpai („Sekte des Goldwimpels“), die generisch als Zhaijiao bezeichnet werden. Diese drei ursprünglich vom chinesischen Festland stammenden Traditionen werden heute zumeist als laienbuddhistische Vereinigungen angesehen, teilen aber eine Geschichte, die weit über die Grenzen des „orthodoxen“ und distinkten Buddhismus hinausgeht. In ihnen verschmelzen nicht nur buddhistische und daoistische Elemente sowie Vorstellungen und Praktiken der kommunalen Volksreligiosität. Sie stehen auch in ungebrochener Tradition mit volksreligiösen Sekten der späten Ming- (1368-1644) und frühen Qing-Zeit (1644-1911). Während die religiösen Vorstellungen und sozialen Organisationsformen der seit der Ming-Zeit entstandenen volksreligiösen Sekten – in deren Tradition die Zhaijiao Taiwans stehen – durch das Studium schriftlicher Quellen bereits recht gut bekannt sind, ist ihre religiöse Praxis hingegen bisher kaum erforscht. Die Dissertation unternimmt daher den Versuch, einen Beitrag dazu zu leisten, diese Lücke zu schließen. Sie hat es sich zum Ziel gemacht, die religiöse Praxis der vegetarischen Sekten im heutigen Taiwan zu analysieren und sie vor dem Hintergrund ihrer historischen Entwicklung einzuordnen. „Religiöse Praxis“ fungiert dabei als Oberbegriff für alles soziale und individuelle Sichverhalten in einem religiösen Feld und schließt damit sowohl hochgradig standardisiertes, formelles und vorgeprägtes Handeln (z.B. Rituale), als auch Formen religiös geprägter Lebensführung ein. Die religiöse Praxis der Zhaijiao wird dabei erstmals einer ausführlichen diachronen Untersuchung unterzogen, die von den ältesten Erwähnungen im 16. Jahrhundert bis in die Gegenwart des frühen 21. Jahrhunderts reicht. Ein zentrales Element besteht dabei in der Verknüpfung von Feldforschung und dem Studium literarischer Quellen, welche es ermöglicht, einerseits historische Veränderungen zu erkennen und andererseits die historischen Quellen vor dem Hintergrund empirischer Beobachtungen besser zu verstehen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde im Jahr 2010 eine Erhebung von Primärdaten im Zuge einer Feldforschung durchgeführt, die sich insgesamt über sieben Monate erstreckte und in der 31 Gemeinden in ganz Taiwan besucht wurden. Erst mit diesen vor Ort gewonnenen Daten über das religiöse Leben der Zhaijiao-Anhänger in ihrem „natürlichen Umfeld“ können die spärlichen Informationen, die aus historischen Quellen und bisherigen Forschungsarbeiten gewonnen werden konnten, in einen lebensweltlichen Kontext eingebettet und interpretiert werden. Die heutigen Zhaijiao in Taiwan tragen als Abkömmlinge festlandchinesischer Sekten der Ming- und Qing-Zeit ein tief verwurzeltes historisches Erbe in sich. Dies besteht nicht nur aus jahrhundertealten Texten, die noch immer gedruckt, gelesen und rituell benutzt werden. Auch die religiöse Vorstellungswelt und Praxis nährt sich weiterhin aus dieser Tradition. Auf der anderen Seite erlebte Taiwan im vergangenen Jahrhundert infolge von Modernisierung, Verwestlichung, Urbanisierung usw. erhebliche politische und gesellschaftliche Umwälzungen, die auf die Entwicklung der Zhaijiao einen nachhaltigen Einfluss ausübten. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser zum Teil gegenläufigen Entwicklungen soll nach dem Verhältnis von Kontinuität und Wandel der Zhaijiao gefragt werden: Wie haben sich die kulturell eher konservativ und traditionell eingestellten Sekten unter den Bedingungen einer modernen und demokratischen Gesellschaft entwickelt und möglicherweise verändert?

Kentucky has a health crisis and most of the causes can be linked to diet, smoking and physical activity. Vegetarian and vegan diets have numerous benefits for many diet related health problems such as obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. There has been limited research on vegetarians and vegans in the United States and none in Kentucky. This study used an anonymous electronic survey to examine the different characteristics, behaviors, experiences and opinions of adult vegetarians and vegans in Kentucky. Results were compared to statistical data reported on the general population of Kentucky. Calculated body mass index (BMI) from self-reported height and weight showed 36% of vegetarians and 21% of vegans to be overweight or obese compared to 67% of the general Kentucky population being overweight or obese. The impact on BMI due to type of plant based diet (vegetarian or vegan) was found to be of greater significance (p=0.0030) than that of exercise. Reports from both groups indicated that they may be underserved by health care professionals. These findings have important implications for dietitians, dietetics education programs and health care providers concerned with high rates of obesity and chronic diseases.

This thesis explores 5C dietary-restricted college students’ reiteration of a “lack of [food] options” in the dining hall and at on-campus, institutionally-sponsored events of particularly Scripps College. Given that Scripps specifically has in the past responded to dietary-restricted student needs, and that it offers an admittedly broad variety of foods for a college dining hall, dietary-restricted students’ dissatisfaction with “food options” presents an interesting problem. Situated within broader Claremont College community discussions, this ethnographic work hopes to better understand not just what students want, but what they need to socially and culturally sustain themselves while dwelling in the residential 5C community. I argue that when my dietary- and non-dietary-restricted interlocutors narrate their desire for, request, and provide food options, they are engaging in efforts to facilitate access to membership and participation in all aspects of the “residential college experience.” In the spirit of interlocutors’ enduring determination to exist in a space of possibility with regard to their identities and the necessary food options that could exist, this thesis also contains Scripps-specific suggestions to better include those with dietary restrictions in the Scripps College residential community.