Why do vegetarians look like they are dying?

Question

I am sure there is a famous exception to this & some guy who only eats berries will tell me about it.

But generally speaking the ones I have met all look very sickly. Sort of pale/yellow skin tones. Malnourished. Lack of muscle mass. Frequently sick.

If "eating healthy" fails to produce desirable results then why continue?

Answer 1

I tend to agree. Perhaps it is because the protein a person needs is built from amino acids which don't come packaged in plants the way they do in animals. Some have to be taken in combination or some proteins won't be made at all. I suspect many vegetarians aren't judicious about mixing their vegetables right to be sure that all proteins can be synthesized.

Answer 2

Do you know that Chinese monks are vegetarians too and they are good fighters as shown in film shows. Their food of course consists of alot of protein and other vitamins; not lack of any nutrients at all.

I know of some friends who are vegetarians and are because of some health problems. They confessed that after they became vegetarians they are more healthy. Meat is actual bad for health. But I, personally cannot go without meat. I would always try to have a balance diet of everything.

Whatever people take, they have their purpose and choice, so leave them alone.

Eating just berries is, because they have no choice, could be trapped in the jungle!!

Answer 3

You've probably met plenty of vegetarians that you don't even know were veg because they don't fit your ignorant sterotype. I work in an office with 30 people and two of us are veg; I can absolutely guarantee you that if I showed you a group photo of us, you'd never be able to pick out the vegetarians. I am not pale or yellow-y, I am certainly not malnourished. I do not lack muscle mass. I am nowhere near sickly. The average American adult gets 4.5 colds per year. I get one. I have not had a recognizable case of the flu since January of 1986. I have 100s of hours of sick time built up at work because I never need to take it. I DO eat healthy and it DOES produce desirable results; perhaps the (few) vegetarians you've met are junk-food veggies. But all in all, research proves that we are healthier than you (we have lower instances of heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, prostate cancer and breast cancer.)

Answer 4

the sad thing is is that those that look sickly are not smart about what they choose to eat. There are many foods that provide complete proteins but they need to be paired together and they need to consume a large variety of foods.
An example of a complete protein is beans and rice. There are several types of vegetarians
Some eat fish
Lacto ovo- eats eggs and milk
Vegans-consume only vegetables and their only source of protein comes from grains and legumes. (This is the type of vegetarianism where most get that sickly look when they think they know what they are doing but really have no clue)
Fruititarians-cannot live healthily on just fruit. Vegetables contain protein, fruit does not.

Those that are undernourished are uneducated about how to go about being a vegetarian.
Many Indians consume only vegetables and I have known a few that were over-nourished on a vegetarian diet. I have also known a lacto-ovo vegetarian that is quite on the fat side, (lots of cheese, bread and pasta).

Sadly it is a very healthy diet and those that consume a high variety of fruits and vegetables have less incidents of stroke and heart disease. And those that are naive give vegetarianism a bad name. It really is a very healthy way of life, if you know what you are doing
However, I love meat, I eat at least one meal a day with meat in it.

Answer 5

Probably because --like all diets -- vegetarian/veganism requires some planning. It's possible to eat healthy - or badly - as a veggie. And yep, there are plenty of vegetarians who DON'T look like their about to keel over. To use my favorite "look at him" example, there's the bodybuilder Keith Williams. There's also Carl Lewis (from the Olympics.) Ya-da, ya-da. :)

Answer 6

Well, I don't know how many vegetarians you have actually seen, but you are obviously wrong. I was too skinny and had bad skin and got sick 4-5 times per year BEFORE I became vegan. Now, I am the picture of physical health and have not gotten sick (even once!) in a year and a half.

There is not just one famous exception, but millions of exceptions all around you. I have met literally hundreds of vegans over the course of a few years and not one has been yellow or sickly and none of them take supplements either. As long as you eat a varied, healthy diet, the vegan lifestyle is the healthiest choice you can make.

Answer 7

Maybe you should meet a few vegetarians that are doing it the right way. The ones who don't get protein probably look like that.

Every vegetarian I know (including myself) looks VERY healthy.

Answer 8

How can I put this politely.
Your ignorant!

The sickly veggies are usually new at it or they live off of fries and cheese etc.
Any one will look sick if they do not get the proper nutrition.
America has been brain washed (by the Food and Drug Pusher Administration) into thinking we need so much animal protein in our diet.
It is common knowledge that eating as close to nature as possible is the key to a long healthy life.

Example: I have 3 children 1 who eats vegi at home but meat with his friends and 2 who are strict vegans.
The later gets colds and sinus infections regularly.
The other 2 rarely if ever get sick ( I honestly can not remember the last time) All three are lean gifted athletes. We all have smooth skin, and white healthy teeth.
I have been told I look like I'm in my 20s and I am well in my 30's. I tell you I found the fountain of youth 12 years ago. it is called the Garden!

P.S .Milk does not do a body good.

Answer 9

This is kind of funny, because I actually *have* been told I look really pale and skinny throughout my whole life, long before I was a vegetarian. But after I became vegetarian, suddenly how I look is everyone's business. And I guess compared to the people of my hometown, where it's common to be overweight or even obese, and to have reddish or burnt looking skin from working out in the sun or sunbathing all day, I -am- pretty pale and skinny comparatively. Maybe now would be a good time to mention the cancer rate is 10-15 times the national average there. Why in the world would I try to copy their habits just to be more "normal-looking"?

When doctors start warning about the dangers of weighing 140 pounds, wearing sunscreen, and eating a 2000 calorie diet, and start suggesting people go to tanning booths and eat upwards of 4000 calories a day, then I'll start worrying. Until then, I'll just have to believe my doctor rather than try to divine my health from my skin tone.

Answer 10

Sigh. Another baited question based on a tired old stereotype.

There are millions of exceptions to that because it isn't true.

My wife is vegetarian since birth and a Registered Dietitian with double Masters Degrees in Nutrition and Biology.

What are your credentials in nutrition?

Answer 11

Props to Mary! - great answer!
I will only add this. It is quite possible to be vegetarian and still eat very unhealthy. Generally vegetarians are more health conscious and eat a lot of well... veggies along with other foods to get balanced nutrition. But a vegetarian could still only eat ramen, chips and candy or some other horrific diet. The people you have met who look like they are dying obviously don't eat properly, meat eating or not.