If you’ve so much as watched a newscast or opened a newspaper in the last year, you know that obesity has become an epidemic problem here in the US. In fact, the American Journal of Preventive medicine states that the number of Americans considered to be obese is expected to rise from 34% to 42% by the year 2030.

This is alarming not just because of the weight issue

But because so many diseases and deaths are directly attributed to obesity and being overweight. These include Type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many more health issues.

A few days ago, Cleveland.com posted an article reporting that the recent Oxford University study on obesity claims that the leading causes of obesity are a lack of exercise and a diet heavy on fat-laden meats. The study also showed that people on a vegetarian diet or even better a vegan diet, are less likely to gain weight.

As the article states,

A five-year Oxford University study of 22,000 people, published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2006, found that those on a vegetarian or vegan diet gained the least weight. A review of 87 studies in Nutrition Reviews concluded that a vegetarian diet is highly effective for weight loss.”

If you’re on the fence about transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, this is important news. It’s also important information for friends and relatives who are at high risk for diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related problems.

Read the article (and the study) for yourself, then pass it on to someone you love who needs this information.