Study Shows Many Medical Students Follow Vegetarian Diets

A new study shows that many medical students now follow vegetarian diets, and that these students had better health and improved nutrition compared with their nonvegetarian classmates. Emory University researchers examined the prevalence of vegetarian diet patterns among nearly 900 medical students and found that 7.2 percent of students identified themselves as vegetarians. This number declined slightly throughout the years of medical school, paralleling an overall decline in positive health-related habits among doctors in training. Vegetarians were also more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables than nonvegetarians.