Do children with higher IQs tend to go on to become vegetarians?

Question

I don't know if it is true or not, but a British Medical Journal reported that children with higher IQs tend to go on to become vegetarian. Does that mean that children with lower IQs eat meat?

This is pretty much all the proof we need. It is obvious that eating meat is something we need to put behind us. Society needs to switch over to a vegetarian diet so we can have a more civil society.

Kruger, very good answer.

savs, your level of ignorance is surpassed by no one.

To the rest of the meat eaters who replied to this question. Yes, I typed replied, because they are replies, not answers. An answer actually answers something. First, let me say, your conscience is obviously trying to tell you something. The reason you reply to my questions with such bitterness and hatred is because you know what you are doing is wrong. Every time you type a negative reply to me, it eases your conscience just a little bit. However, you have to keep coming back and cutting me down to make you feel good about yourself. Open your eyes meat eaters, that is your own conscience talking to you. The problem is not me, it is you. Just look in the mirror and you will see the source of your problem. I promise you this meat eaters, I will no rest until you stop eating meat. I will lay down my life for the freedom of animals. I have dedicated my life to total animal liberation and if you think a couple hatemongers on Yahoo! Answers are going to discourage me, then think again.

jellbz, I noticed you signed your reply with moron. I never thought I woud see the day we actually agree on something. You are definitely a moron, that is for sure and with flying colors.

Answer 1

Again you fail to provide a link...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6180753.stm?ls

Here it is. You will also notice that the difference is only 5 points, not a major difference. If you also read carefully you will notice that 100 out of the 366 vegetarians used in this study ate fish and chicken therefore ...they are obviously not vegetarian ... therefore completely voiding your argument.

Next

Answer 2

Interesting....interesting....

My first question would be, higher IQs that what? The average meat-eater? What was the pool that this study was taken from. Where the people studied "true vegetarians" or did they classify themselves as such even though they still consumed fish? Important questions to ask. Also, how long were these subjects followed? What was the rate of recidivism? How many went back to eating meat. Studies always have a certain bias. Who did they test and was the sample big enough to draw this type of conclusion?

Studies are rarely definitive. They simply use statistical data to draw a conclusion. That doesn't mean that the conclusion is the answer or that it might not change in the future.

Answer 3

Your conclusion of children with lower IQ's eating meat is problematic.

Firstly, it is based on the observations on a correlative study published in the British Medical Journal (citation is hyper-linked). If you read the prompt, words such as associated and related are utilized in describing the relationship between vegetarianism and intelligence, with no statistical value assigned or reported. It just so happens that individuals of the study had a reported higher IQ and happened to be vegetarian.

A big misunderstanding that we all typically have is that we believe a correlation equates to causation. An example that I recalled being used in a research methodology class goes as follows: In the winter time there is an increased use of medicine, so can we deduce that winter makes individuals sick, the answer is "No." The only conclusion we can gain from a correlation is simply that more medicine is consumed in winter.

There is also another factor to the study that limits its scope. Only a population of 8,000 British individuals were utilized. The population of England alone was approximately 50,431,700 people in mid 2005. The 8,000 individual sample size than seems paltry by comparison and a poor indicator of the whole. Of course, this study like others is limited by time, money and energy and it is unreasonable to assume it would expand it much farther.

Also, one point I noticed on the website for the article made by another researcher is that there are other cultures such as Hinduism where a vegetarian diet is common place, and there is a wide array of IQs, the comment is also added in the citations.

So, what can we conclude from this study? What can be said is, that based on this study of 8,000 British men and women, there was a correlation (unfortunately again, it can't be said that it was strong/weak since I could get the whole article :() between intelligence and a vegetarian diet in mid-adulthood. What it doesn't claim is that smart people are vegetarians, less intelligent people consume meat; additionally it doesn't say that the people -maintain- these diets after the mid-adulthood period.

Sorry for the long post and rambling, hopefully it makes some sense.

Answer 4

Can you identify your source please!!!! I doubt it because I doubt that this statement has any amount of truth of thruth in it ...not even a grain or seed. Why when we are so clearly deisgned to eat both meat and vegetables, i.e. we are omnivores would you ever think that denying ourselves could or might reflect in a change or be reponsible for or a reflection of increased intelligence? I think that the only possibility that might apply is that maybe some fairly intellegent people who found they were not acheiving or gaining the recognition that they craved within there careers or life. Maybe they made a conscious decision to attract attention to themselves by coming out and stating that they would no longer eat meat.....blah blah blah probably for all the same reasons that the veggies of today keep spouting i.e. animal welfare, health etc etc etc. They then duped a few of there more gullible friends into joining the "cause" and so we arrive at todays "veggie" or "vegan". Does any of you "veggies" know who the founder or origantor of the "veggie" idea was?

Answer 5

I don't think this is 100% true. I think you may have mixed this up with an article in the paper this week - one of my colleagues pointed it out to me - that veggies generally have 5% higher IQ than non-veggies. As for society switching to a veggie diet.... ?????? Human teeth were designed to eat both veggies and meat. The whole point of freedom is to choose what you want to eat and not have it dictated by others. Yes, I'm a veggie and a bit of an eco-warrier and I think people could do more to help the planet a little but I'm not about to preach to others what they should do and I don't think others should either.

Answer 6

Ashley, stop trying to sound like you're superior to us meat eaters, because you are not. ", and yes, I said replies, because they are not answers." your like that Miss Teen America girl that was so stupid, and tried to sound smart. I cant stand you! You just need to stop telling society to "Be more civil" because we're not listening! Did you know that if humanity didn't start eating meat in the first place, our brain would be a small fraction of what it is now. How old are you, 17? There's a lot of smart people on here that are older than you, and are getting mighty tired of listening to your bull crap!

Edit
savs is completly correct and you know it! stop being such an air head Ashly, and I can really say that because your brain doesnt get the special protine it needs with your vegan diet.

Answer 7

I suspect it is because if you have a higher IQ you are more aware of yourself including your diet and eating a lot of meat especially red meat is not good for you.

Cause and effect are always difficult to get in the right order.

I always wonder if it is really the nicotine that causes the cancer or that heavy smokers tend to be stressed people anyway and the stress causes the cancer which occurs in the lungs because any smoke is an irritant.

Otherwise how do you get 106 year old smokers?

Answer 8

Not sure why I am even wasting my time "replying" to this idiot crap, I'm not even going to answer your question because it's obtuse and ridiculous. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, but I'm sick of your juvenile, sophomoric questions and statements. I'm not sure what you are getting out of this, but you have been here far too long and have annoyed far too many people. I realize there is nothing we can do to make you stop coming here, but maybe you should think about putting an end to this babbling and consider doing something productive. Maybe something like school work, or a job or whatever it is that you do. Just leave these people alone once and for all.

Answer 9

You know what? before you came along I was blisfully unaware that I was a Moron, a Hatemonger and a stalker.

I visited the Vegetarian site because I wanted to learn and experience the very many types of different cuisines that are available to us.

Boy did I learn.

On your own you must have done more to turn people against the ways of vegetarianism than anyone I can think of.

I simply cannot understand how you expect to get people to change their way of life when all you can take is an insulting and arrogant manner to try to force your views on people without exception.

Obviously having a very low IQ, I am unable to grasp the concept that a dictatorship is the best way forward,or that rudeness and insult is a prime negotiating tool.

Why on earth do you carry out your rants in the only section that supports the lifestyle you advocate? surely you would be better off in the ethnic groups where meat eating is the norm.

I think most of us are quite aware as to how our foodstuffs are cultivated and prepared but that doesn't interest you, I have never forced any diet on my children - my daughter chose to be vegetarian and I accepted that - no problem.

I didn't start trying to force any meat products down her throat because I thought my way was better.

I believe this is true intelligence - explanation, teaching, advice, coaching, mentoring and constructive application.

Not the inane hissyfits that only you seem to want to employ.

If thats Hatemongering then I will wear it with pride because I believe we all have a choice and freedom of speech.

If it makes me a moron, then I can only say that at least I have travelled the world extensively and I have seen things that you would have no concept of, let alone would care to witness.

If I am a stalker merely because I have the ability to express my views however in conflict with yours then you had better settle down and accept a lifetime of disappointment, however short it may be.

You have the bearing of an unruly and ignorant child, totally lacking the ability to be able to express yourself in a calm and dignified manner, and therefore will never command any respect or acceptance from your peers or siblings.

Answer 10

idk..but my IQ is not excactly high...i got a D in Social studies..a C- in Spanish and a C+(one point away till a B-) in Math. But i got The best grade in my class is English and i was moved to the higher english classes! But i am a vegetarian for my love of animals. i want to be a vet so i kno lots on animals and dif breeds..but i am not at all smart in some school classes! But that doesnt mean i am dumb with low IQ and cant think! i actually won MANY poetry contests! But ilove animals! and my health so i am a vegetarian!

Answer 11

I love the theory does the reverse work as well in that I am a vegetarian therefore I have a high IQ. I have been a veggy for near on 20 years and made the choice quite young and where as I am educated I am not especially intelligent, I always do well but have to work harder than most it seems.