Study Shows Many Medical Students Follow Vegetarian Diets
January 18, 2007 A new study shows that many medical students
now follow vegetarian diets, and that these students had better
health and improved nutrition compared with their nonvegetarian
classmates. Emory University researchers examined the prevalence
of vegetarian diet patterns among nearly 900 medical students
and found that 7.2 percent of students identified themselves as
vegetarians. This number declined slightly throughout the years
of medical school, paralleling an overall decline in positive
health-related habits among doctors in training. Vegetarians
were also more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables than
nonvegetarians. Spencer EH, Elon LK, Frank E. Personal and
Professional Correlates of US Medical Students’ Vegetarianism. J
Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:72-78. Subscribe to PCRM's Breaking
Medical News. Breaking Medical News is a service of the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin
Ave., Ste. 400, Washington, DC 2001