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Vegetarians generally eat foods that are considerably lower in calories. Their foods are generally bulkier (lots of fiber which passes through their system, and helps to clean their digestive track) and more conducive to increasing metabolism. Fruits and vegetables also tend to be higher in water content which also helps in weight management.

There are a lot of benefits to adjusting your diet to include predominately vegetarian foods. It does help in weight management. It also helps with digestion, intestinal flora, vitamin/mineral balance, etc., etc.

I try to eat a good variety of foods, both meats and vegetables.

Depends upon how much grains they eat...

But you can definately be a FAT vegiterian, if you're not careful...

Anyone ever wonder why ALL the largest creatures that ever lived on earth are all 100% vegiterians? Brachiosarous, elphants, hippos, cape buffalo, giraffes, horses, bison, etc...

T-Rex was a big guy, but the plant-eating dinosaurs that were his contemporaries were MUCH larger...

Also notice that the closer a land-animal is to being 100% carnivore, that they are actually quite thin & sleek? Cats are about about the closest to a 100% meat eater, yet I've never seen a wild cat of any species that was anything but lean & mean...

"How about true vegetarians They shun eggs and any animal product like lard butter and meats They are almost all grain and vegetable plus nuts but DEFINITELY a low fat diet . So they eat breads, bananas fruits, fruit juice , veggies . To my understanding they are not fat overweight people "

Anybody going to comment on this ?

Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I'll speak what little I know about veggies. My niece is a vegetarian, pure. No milk/egg/cheese as some vegetarians allow themselves. I don't know if she does it for political purposes or not. I will say that she is quite healthy.

Now here's a couple of points about eating vegetables (which we all need to include in our diets). First, does anybody realize just how much broccoli one would need to consume to get just 1000 calories? So, suffice to say that vegetables aren't energy-dense. Now, granted, veggetarians do not consume just broccoli. They eat whole grains, fruits, and a variety of vegetables. I'm just using broccoli to illustrate a point.

Here's another consideration; a vegetarian diet makes it difficult to obtain adequate protein and calcium. It isn't impossible, but its more difficult and takes a more conscious effort. So, vegetarians, as a rule, are much more cognizant of what they eat when compared to the rest of us. Aside from athletes, nutritionists, and those who are dieting, who in the general population really pays that much attention to what they eat? Not too many of us. So, with this in mind, it stands to reason that a vegetarian will have a better grasp, in general, than most of us carniverous folks. They have to.

The third point I want to make is that many vegetarians are also athletically inclined. While few are bodybuilders, there are many that are runners, cyclists, and just general fitness-minded people. Like all fitness-minded folks, they tend to be in good physical shape. Just something to keep in mind.

My final point is that just because someone is thin does not mean they are healthy nor does it mean that their bodyfat percentage is low. I know a few people that are thin, but are also quite weak and frail. I'm not trying to stick this condition onto vegetarians; I'm simply pointing out that thin does not equal healthy. Now, a thin person is more likely to have low bodyfat and good cholestoral (sp?) numbers, but it certainly isn't a given. Many people are thin by nature.

These are just my comments from reading about vegans and from observing the few that I've known. In short, its a workable diet scheme, but you do have to work at maintaining certain nutrient levels, and it is more difficult to get adequate calorie intake without meat and animal-based foods. Plus, you don't get to enjoy prime rib and the like. :)