Looney Labs Something Mailing list Archive

Re: [Something] High IQ linked to being vegetarian

  • FromTheLoneGoldfish <thelonegoldfish@xxxxxxxxx>
  • DateSat, 16 Dec 2006 09:47:00 -0500
Sadly, I think that not everyone is equal in making the choice to become vegetarian. I lived on the southside of chicago most of my life, and there was a distinct difference in quality of produce and price when comparing the suburban food stores to those in the city (more expensive, worse produce).

In such conditions, being a vegetarian is probably not an option, either financially or nutritionally (and good luck finding a vegetarian restaurant).

I feel the study may have more to do with social class and opportunity than any sort of direct causation...

Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.

And how, I do wonder, do you adjust for social class? How do you adjust for education, if without it you don't have an understanding of how nutrition works?

But Dr Frankie Phillips, of the British Dietetic Association, said: "It is like the chicken and the egg. Do people become vegetarian because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they tend to be more aware of health issues?"

At least they leave the question open, though I wish they'd go into the possible causes a bit more, rather than just cheering on the vegetarians.