Between these two diets are other plant-based diets, such as semi-vegetarian (semi-veg:occasional meat intake), pesco-vegetarian (pesco-veg: excludes meat except seafood), and vegetarian (veg: excludes all meat and seafood, but contains eggs and dairy products). Several epidemiologic studies have examined differences in weight-related outcomes among these diets, finding lower body weights [4] and less weight gain over time among vegans compared with other groups [5].
These prospective cohort studies [4,5] examining the five diets along the plant-based dietary spectrum have categorized participants according to their preexisting dietary patterns, making it difficult to account for the inherent differences that may exist among individuals who self-select different patterns.