Energy balance
Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (hPDI) is associated with lower risk of obesity and less weight gain, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (uPDI) is associated with higher risk of obesity and more weight gain.
To manage weight, focus on the quality of your plant foods. Prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (healthful plant foods) while limiting refined grains and added sugars (unhealthful plant foods). Simply being vegetarian is not enough; the quality of the plants matters significantly for preventing obesity.
The PDI had a protective association with body weight gain and adiposity. Emphasis of healthful plant foods strengthened this association and emphasis of unhealthful plant foods demonstrated either a positive or null association.
Why this rating
The authors rated the overall certainty of evidence as 'moderate' due to heterogeneity and wide confidence intervals in some estimates.
Source
Association between adherence to plant-based dietary patterns and obesity risk: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies
Sarah Jarvis et al. · Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism · 2022
DOI 10.1139/apnm-2022-0059
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