Department of Psychology, Social Sciences 399, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, USA.
Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Apr;26(3):1007-1012. doi: 10.1007/s40519-020-00903-w. Epub 2020 May 7.
Past work suggests that vegetarianism is common in patients diagnosed with eating disorders (EDs), but the exact nature of this association is unclear, with reports conflicting as to whether vegetarianism is a risk factor for EDs, complicates ED treatment, or is wholly innocuous. Since vegetarianism has been on the rise, the need for current data on possible links with EDs is substantial.
We collected data on demographics, vegetarian status, ED diagnosis, current body mass index (BMI), highest and lowest BMI, Eating Attitudes Test, and Multifactorial Assessment of Eating Disorders Symptoms scores at intake in 124 patients (84.7% women, 90.3% white, M = 23.92 ± 9.16 years) admitted to an intensive outpatient ED program.
We first compared omnivores (n = 72, 58.1%), meat-reducers (n = 27, 21.8%), vegetarians (n = 20, 16.1%), and vegans (n = 5, 4.0%) and found no significant differences in any demographic or outcome variable, with the exception that vegetarians reported significantly lower highest-ever BMI compared to meat-reducers (p = 0.03). To mirror past chart reviews, we then compared the combined groups of meat avoiders (n = 52, 41.9%) to the omnivores (n = 72, 58.1%) and found no significant differences in demographics or ED symptoms (all ps > 0.05).
Overall, data support that meat restriction does not imply greater ED severity.
Level V, descriptive study, retrospective chart review.
过去的研究表明，素食主义在被诊断为饮食失调症（ED）的患者中很常见，但这种关联的确切性质尚不清楚，有报道称素食主义是 ED 的危险因素、使 ED 治疗复杂化还是完全无害的说法相互矛盾。由于素食主义的流行，了解素食主义与 ED 之间可能存在的联系的最新数据是非常必要的。
我们在 124 名（84.7%为女性，90.3%为白人，平均年龄为 23.92±9.16 岁）接受强化门诊 ED 项目治疗的患者入院时收集了人口统计学数据、素食状况、ED 诊断、当前体重指数（BMI）、最高和最低 BMI、饮食态度测试和多因素饮食失调症状评估得分。
我们首先比较了杂食者（n=72，58.1%）、少吃肉者（n=27，21.8%）、素食者（n=20，16.1%）和严格素食者（n=5，4.0%），发现除了素食者报告的最高 BMI 明显低于少吃肉者（p=0.03）外，在任何人口统计学或结果变量方面均无显著差异。为了模仿过去的图表审查，我们将不吃肉者（n=52，41.9%）与杂食者（n=72，58.1%）进行比较，发现两组在人口统计学或 ED 症状方面均无显著差异（所有 p 值均>0.05）。
总体而言，数据支持限制肉类摄入并不意味着 ED 严重程度更高。
五级，描述性研究，回顾性图表审查。
