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[...] Researchers found children who had a vegetarian diet had similar mean body mass index (BMI), height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels compared to those who consumed meat. The findings showed evidence that children with a vegetarian diet had almost two-fold higher odds of having underweight, which is defined as below the third percentile for BMI. There was no evidence of an association with overweight or obesity.
Underweight is an indicator of undernutrition, and may be a sign that the quality of the child's diet is not meeting the child's nutritional needs to support normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, the researchers emphasized access to healthcare providers who can provide growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their growth and nutrition.
[...] A limitation of the study is that researchers did not assess the quality of the vegetarian diets. The researchers note that vegetarian diets come in many forms and the quality of the individual diet may be quite important to growth and nutritional outcomes. The authors say further research is needed to examine the quality of vegetarian diets in childhood, as well as growth and nutrition outcomes among children following a vegan diet, which excludes meat and animal derived products such as dairy, egg, and honey.
Journal Reference:
Laura J. Elliott et al. Vegetarian Diet, Growth, and Nutrition in Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Cohort Study [open] Pediatrics 2022
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-052598
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday May 05 2022, @03:33PM
My child is a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Meaning, they eat dairy and egg products. My child is quite well fed and quite tall for the age range.
You can do a good job as a parent and make sure they get the things they need to grow well. Or you can do a poor job as a parent and feed them McDs, fries, and a shake. Or you can do a poor job as a parent and feed them other poor nutritional value foods. You don't have to be vegetarian to have a malnourished child and they don't have to be skinny for them to be malnourished.
My child eats beets, asparagus, and other vegetables, that a lot of kids won't touch. (I didn't introduce my revulsion to beets in my child, because I didn't suggest that they are unfit for human consumption.) My child also eats plenty of protein, carbs, and other things that my child needs to grow healthy and strong. I also, don't force my child to sit there and eat every speck of food on their plate. I do however, require that they eat a good amount and variety of food. They may end up eating meat when they are old enough to make their own decisions, but for now, I am the one that makes sure they get what they need. As such, no meat.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"