Research on Consumers’ Self-Protection through a Healthy Diet

The article analyzes consumers’ concern for healthy food, emphasizing the role of the vegetarian diet. Studies on the topic are available world-wide; however, none of these focuses on the role of vegetarian diet within the concern for healthy food, in Romania. In answering this question, a qualitative research was carried out on the customers of a store that sells natural food products and products certified as organic. The results indicate that vegetarian diet has a central role within the wider concern for healthy food, endorsing arguments to support the assertion. Hence, propensities in the consumer concerns to turn to healthier diets were identified, based on a system that diminishes or eliminates meat based diets. The conclusion of the qualitative research is a premise for future development of quantitative research, assessing the dimensions of this phenomenon.healthy food, consumer behaviour, market research, vegetarian diet, eating patterns, organic agro-food products, market strategy

Vegetarians versus Vegans

There is a gap in literature related to studies that explicitly compare vegetarians to vegans, as existing studies typically group these diets together and examine carnivorous and omnivorous diets in order to identify similarities and differences. The purpose of this study is to look at vegetarian and vegan diets to see if differences in attitudes towards animals, perceptions of animal usage, consumption, and morality exist. Participants included vegetarian and vegan Liberty University students (graduate and undergraduate, online and residential) who were at least 18 years old. Overall, one hundred students took part in the study, 50 of them were vegetarian and 50 of them were vegan. They completed an anonymous online survey measuring demographics, attitudes towards animals, perceptions of animal usage, and morality. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference between vegans and vegetarians in attitudes toward animals as well as their perception of human and animal similarity. There was also a significant difference between one of the five domains regarding moral decision-making, the fairness/reciprocity domain. However, in the other four domains (harm/care, in-group/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity), there was not a significant difference between the vegan and vegetarian group. Since past studies have grouped vegans and vegetarians as alike, these results seem support the importance of maintaining a separation between diets and subgroups in future studies since differences may exist between the groups

Type of vegetarian diet, obesity and diabetes in adult Indian population

Background: To investigate the prevalence of obesity and diabetes among adult men and women in India consuming different types of vegetarian diets compared with those consuming non-vegetarian diets. Methods: We used cross-sectional data of 156,317 adults aged 20–49 years who participated in India’s third National Family Health Survey (2005–06). Association between types of vegetarian diet (vegan, lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and self-reported diabetes status and measured body mass index (BMI) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, education, household wealth, rural/urban residence, religion, caste, smoking, alcohol use, and television watching. Results: Mean BMI was lowest in pesco-vegetarians (20.3 kg/m2) and vegans (20.5 kg/m2) and highest in lacto-ovo vegetarian (21.0 kg/m2) and lacto-vegetarian (21.2 kg/m2) diets. Prevalence of diabetes varied from 0.9% (95% CI: 0.8-1.1) in person consuming lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian (95% CI:0.6-1.3) and semi-vegetarian (95% CI:0.7-1.1) diets and was highest in those persons consuming a pesco-vegetarian diet (1.4%; 95% CI:1.0-2.0). Consumption of a lacto- (OR:0.67;95% CI:0.58-0.76;p < 0.01), lacto-ovo (OR:0.70; 95% CI:0.51-0.96;p = 0.03) and semi-vegetarian (OR:0.77; 95% CI:0.60-0.98; p = 0.03) diet was associated with a lower likelihood of diabetes than a non-vegetarian diet in the adjusted analyses. Conclusions: In this large, nationally representative sample of Indian adults, lacto-, lacto-ovo and semi-vegetarian diets were associated with a lower likelihood of diabetes. These findings may assist in the development of interventions to address the growing burden of overweight/obesity and diabetes in Indian population. However, prospective studies with better measures of dietary intake and clinical measures of diabetes are needed to clarify this relationship

Asupan Zat Gizi Makro, Status Gizi, dan Status Imun pada Vegetarian dan Non-Vegetarian

Latar Belakang : Status imun dapat menjadi salah satu penanda kondisi sistem imun di dalam tubuh. Vegetarian umumnya memiliki indeks massa tubuh (IMT) yang lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan non-vegetarian. Hal tersebut memberikan dampak positif terhadap status imun vegetarian. Di samping itu, vegetarian juga mengalami defisiensi beberapa zat gizi yang dapat menyebabkan dampak buruk pada status imun vegetarian. Salah satu penanda status imun tubuh yaitu jumlah leukosit, dimana leukosit merupakan imunologi pertama yang muncul untuk melawan patogen. Tujuan : Membandingkan asupan zat gizi makro, status gizi, dan status imun antara vegetarian dan non-vegetarian. Metode : Sampel penelitian sebanyak 64 wanita dipilih melalui consecutive sampling yang terdiri dari 32 subjek vegetarian dan 32 subjek non-vegetarian. Berat badan dan tinggi badan dari subjek diukur untuk menentukan status gizi. Asupan zat gizi makro diukur melalui Semi Quantitative-Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) dan dianalisis menggunakan program software gizi. Status imun diperoleh dari perhitungan jumlah sel darah putih (leukosit). Analisis statistik yang digunakan yaitu uji T Independen atau Mann-Whitney. Hasil : Terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan pada status gizi (p=0.019), asupan karbohidrat (p=0.002), asupan serat (p=0.001), asupan lemak jenuh (p=0.001), dan asupan lemak tidak jenuh (p=0.001) antara vegetarian dan non-vegetarian. Simpulan : Asupan karbohidrat, serat, dan lemak tidak jenuh lebih tinggi pada vegetarian sementara status gizi dan asupan lemak jenuh lebih tinggi pada non-vegetarian

Henning Wrage, Assistant Professor of German Studies

In this issue of Next Page, Assistant Professor of German Studies, Henning Wrage reveals the book that caused him to become a vegetarian—for a short time at least, and the unusual reading matter that literally surrounded him as a child

Knowledge and Perceptions of Vegetarian Diets Among College-Aged Students

As health becomes a more primary focus for many Americans, people are turning to new diet choices. Vegetarian diets are available in a wide range of choices and have been found to provide many health benefits. However, adequate knowledge within the general public is lacking when it comes to vegetarian diets. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions held by college-aged students at the University of Mississippi. A survey was developed and distributed in health and wellness classes that were offered to students of all majors. 187 completed surveys were returned, of which 7 (3.7%) indicated they were vegetarian. The results showed very similar perceptions between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups. All perceptions were consistent with the hypothesis except for energy drinks/soda and alcohol consumption or drug use. No statistical significance was found, probably due to the extremely small number of vegetarian respondents in comparison to non-vegetarian respondents. Further research should include larger sample of vegetarians and involve other regions of the United States.

Hubungan Antara Persepsi Terhadap Word of Mouth (Wom) Dengan Intensi Membeli Makanan Vegetarian Pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Diponegoro

Perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan tentang kesehatan membuat manusia semakin sadar untuk selalu menjaga kesehatan serta menjauhkan diri dari penyakit. Salah satu cara agar dapat memiliki hidup yang lebih sehat serta menjauhkan diri dari penyakit adalah dengan mengatur pola makan. Pola makan yang sehat biasanya dikaitkan dengan pola makan vegetarian. Penelitian ini bermaksud untuk mengetahui hubungan antara persepsi terhadap WOM dengan intensi membeli makanan vegetarian pada mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Diponegoro. Intensi membeli makanan vegetarian merupakan kecenderungan yang mengarahkan seseorang untuk merencanakan pembelian makanan vegetarian. Persepsi terhadap WOM adalah penilaian terhadap pernyataan yang disampaikan oleh seseorang kepada orang lain nonkomersial baik merek, produk maupun jasa. Penelitian ini menggunakan 55 mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Diponegoro angkatan 2008-2010 sebagai subjek penelitian. Penentuan sampel menggunakan teknik purposive random sampling. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan skala intensi membeli makanan vegetarian yang terdiri dari 43 aitem valid (α=0,970) dan skala persepsi terhadap WOM yang terdiri dari 36 aitem valid (α=0,941). Hasil analisis dengan metode analisis regresi sedehana mendapatkan rxy=0,630 dengan p=0,000 (p<0,05), artinya hipotesis penelitian ini diterima yaitu terdapat hubungan positif dan signifikan antara persepsi terhadap WOM dan intensi membeli makanan vegetarian. Arah hubungan positif antara kedua variabel tersebut artinya semakin positif persepsi terhadap WOM maka intensi membeli makanan vegetarian pada mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi angkatan 2008-2010 akan semakin tinggi dan sebaliknya. Persepsi terhadap WOM memberikan sumbangan efektif sebesar 39,7% terhadap intensi membeli makanan vegetarian. Hasil tersebut mengindikasikan bahwa ada faktor lain sebesar 60,3% yang juga turut berperan mempengaruhi intensi membeli makanan vegetarian yang tidak diungkap dalam penelitian ini

The Green and the Red: a Novel by Armand Chauvel

Review of Armand Chauvel\u27s The Green and the Red: A Novel