Vegan Eating Patterns in Children, Height and Weight Can Be Affected

Illustration of a vegan diet. (FReepik)

JAKARTA - Studies reveal that children who follow a vegan and vegetarian diet tend to be thinner and have shorter stature than children who eat meat.

This research was conducted by scientists from the United States, Italy, and Australia by analyzing data from more than 40 thousand children who underwent various types of diets.

The results of the study showed that vegan children are on average up to 4 centimeters shorter than children with an omnivorous diet, that is, those who consume plant and animal foods. In addition, vegan and vegetarian children also have a lower body mass index (BMI).

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, where a lower BMI value indicates a tendency towards less body weight.

Researchers highlight that a plant-based diet can be deficient in a number of important nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin B12, iodine, and selenium. In fact, children need higher nutrient intake, especially during rapid growth and development.

Scientists insist a meat-free diet is still beneficial for health and the environment, provided it is well planned and supplemented with the right supplements.

"A well-designed vegetarian and vegan diet is actually quite nutritious and beneficial for adults," said Dr. Wolfgang Marx from Deakin University, Australia, quoted from the Daily Mail website.

"However, for children, there is still a lot of uncertainty so parents often receive different, even conflicting, advice," he added.

He added that a balanced approach is very important with special attention to nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, iodine, iron, and zinc so that children can grow and develop optimally.

In this study, a team of scientists analyzed data from 59 studies in 18 countries involving about 48 thousand children and adolescents. Of these, 7,280 were vegetarians, 1,289 vegans, and 40,059 omnivores.

Professor of biology from the University of Florence, Monica Dinu explained that the age of the research participants varied greatly, ranging from infants to late adolescents, depending on each study.

The results of the analysis showed that vegetarian children on average had a weight 0.69 kilograms lighter and a height 1.19 centimeters shorter than omnivorous children. Meanwhile, vegan children on average 1.17 kilograms lighter and 3.64 centimeters shorter.

In addition, vegetarian children have lower body fat mass, bone mineral content, and BMI. Vegan children also show shorter body posture and lower BMI compared to meat eaters.

In terms of nutritional intake, vegetarian children consume more fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium. However, they tend to be deficient in energy, protein, fat, vitamin B12, and zinc. A similar pattern was also found in vegan children with the addition of a significant deficiency in adequate calcium intake.

Despite these shortcomings, vegetarian and vegan diets also show certain advantages. Children in this group have better heart health, characterized by lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels compared to omnivorous children.

The researchers emphasized the importance of a mature and information-based approach for parents. They suggested that parents learn the right supplement needs and consult a professional medical staff.

"The available evidence suggests that a well-planned vegetarian and vegan diet supplemented with adequate supplements can meet nutritional needs and support healthy child growth," said Professor Dinu.

In the past decade, vegetarian diets have become increasingly popular for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. However, researchers warn that this diet also has its own nutritional challenges that require strict management and ongoing medical monitoring. These findings were published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.

On the other hand, the UK health service (NHS) states that red meat is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, but excessive consumption can increase the risk of colon cancer and heart disease.

In addition to impacting health, consuming large amounts of meat also has a negative impact on the environment. Large-scale livestock contributes to habitat destruction and greenhouse gas emissions, including methane and carbon dioxide. Deforestation for grazing land also reduces the earth's ability to absorb carbon.

For this reason, climate scientists often advocate reducing meat consumption and replacing it with plant-based food sources such as vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes, and mushrooms.

However, whatever the choice of diet, experts agree that proper nutrition planning is the key, especially for children in the growth period.