Survey: Fewer than 10% of Americans plan to try plant-based diets this New Year

Nearly half of U.S. adults say starting a new diet is one of their New Year's resolutions, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey. Of that group, fewer than one in 10 say they'll try a plant-based or vegan diet, which research shows is among the most effective for losing weight and keeping it off.

The poll included 2,174 women and men interviewed Dec. 13 to Dec. 15. When asked which diets they plan to try, 40% said they are going to attempt to eat fewer calories, while 26% said they'll go on a low-carbohydrate diet, such as keto, Atkins, or South Beach. Just 7% plan to begin eating a plant-based diet despite evidence that shows it's not only effective, but also less expensive, better for the environment, and provides protection from a variety of diseases.

Roxanne Becker, MBChB, DipIBLM, with the Physicians Committee, a health advocacy group with 17,000 physician members, says, "Counting calories can be time consuming and create a negative relationship with food for some people. And low-carbohydrate diets come with a range of side effects. Research has shown that plant-based diets are effective for weight loss without purposefully restricting or counting calories. This is because plants tend to be naturally lower in calorie density and higher in fiber, which promotes a feeling of fullness."

Research backs this up.

• In the 2017 BROAD Study, obese or overweight participants in Gisborne, New Zealand, ages 35 to 70, with at least one comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes, ate a whole food, plant-based diet for six months. On average, they lost 26.6 pounds and achieved a reduction in body mass index of 4.4 percentage points. After one year, most of their results were sustained. There was no significant weight loss in the control group.
• In the Physicians Committee's 2013 GEICO study of 292 obese or overweight GEICO Insurance Company employees with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at 10 sites across the United States, participants followed either a low-fat vegan diet or no diet for 18 weeks. Those who followed a low-fat vegan diet lost an average of 9.5 pounds, significantly decreased total and LDL cholesterol, and, in individuals with diabetes, decreased hemoglobin A1c by an average of 0.7 percentage points.
• In another Physicians Committee study, from 2018, overweight individuals who followed a plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost 14.3 pounds, on average, while individuals in a control group experienced no significant change in weight.

The even better news is that while a plant-based diet is effective for weight loss, it also reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases, like heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and certain cancers, can save money, and is best for the environment."

Dr. Roxanne Becker, MBChB, DipIBLM

Adds Dr. Becker: "A reason that so few people are planning to try a plant-based diet could be that they don't know where to start." For free resources, check out PCRM.org and sign up for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.