Clearly, it is socially acceptable to limit your diet through vegetarianism. Perhaps, you don't eat meat for religious, political or health reasons. You are Hindu or Buddhist. You suffered a heart attack. You are an animal rights activist. Indeed, the vegetarian diet is healthy, environmentally friendly, good for animals, better for the planet and great for the heart. And many of my vegetarian friends speak about their balanced diets and their love for food.
But let's look at this from a different perspective...the teen who wants to hide an illness. Perhaps, an anorexic 8th grader feels she won't be judged, if she opts for a socially acceptable eating preference. "I can't eat meatloaf, Mom, because I am vegetarian" will certainly work better than "I don't want to eat meatloaf, Mom, because I don't want to eat."
Some vegetarians, of course, are irked by the study. (So, let's be careful here. )
One Digg user commented: "Such articles only serve to encourage people to ridicule those who have chosen to become vegetarians . . . Sad but yet another facet of life that has been maligned because of big-business interests."
Another Digg user (and proclaimed non-meat eater) offered a more blunt reaction, "As a fatass vegetarian, I call bullshit."
Even so, I remember watching a classmate declare herself vegetarian, pick at her plate of carrots and count the number of chews. Was she a true vegetarian? Probably not. (She carried plenty of leather designer bags and shoes.) Was she anorexic? In fact, yes. She found treatment, recovered and now eats plenty of meat.
I agree that we shouldn't blame the vegetarian diet for the eating disorder but parents need to be on the lookout for signs of eating disorders whenever there is a major change in their daughter's eating habits, weight, or other behaviors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this to light. Although I am currently a healthy, well-balenced vegetarian (and person), In my high school days it was something bordering on a bit more serious. Calling myself a vegetarian in high school enabled me not to have to make active choices about how I was limiting my diet. For example, when going out to a restaurant I was "forced" to only chose from a select few dishes. This essentially placed the responsibility on someone else rather than my self
ReplyDeleteI say all of this to say that I am sure there are differing views on the subject, but at one time one completely identified with the idea put forth here and I am glad that it is being brought out into the open.