"I thought this would be of interest to group members. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine tracked the lives of 250 omnivores and vegetarians for 40 years. Here's the write-up about it I saw on the Vegetarian Times' website...
In 1970 two graduate students at UC-Berkeley, Frank Owens and Oliver Larson, decided to study the long-term effects of a vegetarian diet. They selected 250 undergraduates (half omnivore, half vegetarian) and began with detailed interviews, physical exams, and lab tests. For the last 40 years they've gotten updates on their subjects primarily through annual written questionnaires.
The study is ongoing, but Owens and Larson published a number of findings in The New England Journal of Medicine. In addition to confirming the widespread assumption that a vegetarian diet significantly increases the chances for a longer and healthier life, they also found:
- Omnivores ascend faster and higher than vegetarians on the corporate ladder — even after normalizing for differences in the number of vegetarians who seek corporate work.
- Vegetarians are 42% more likely to vote and 79% more likely to serve on jury duty. However, the relatively small percentage of vegetarians in the general population diminishes their influence in society.
- Vegetarians marry four years later on average, but are 32% less likely to divorce. Researchers attribute the delay to vegetarians being more selective with dating partners. They say this ultimately leads to a stronger relationship, which shows in the lower divorce rate among the vegetarians in their study.
- Vegetarians report being 29% happier than omnivores. Researchers did not find a correlation between happiness and income or standard of living once a minimum threshold is reached.
- Vegetarians give 317% more to charitable causes than omnivores. While the percentages are roughly equal for those who give anything, the amount donated by vegetarians is more than three times that of omnivores.
- Omnivores are 26% more likely than vegetarians to serve time in prison for committing a felony, while vegetarians are 32% more likely to be a victim of a white collar crime or confidence scheme. Researchers believe that hormones given to many farm animals effect the functioning of the human brain's prefrontal cortex, which has been linked to aggression, honesty, and gullibility.
Edited by Dave on Apr 1, 2011 8:22 AM"
Even though Dave does something like this every year, I always forget what a prankster he is, and I'm just glad I didn't share this while I still thought it was real. :D
