By Danny Goldman

Vegetarians are often viewed as healthy people; however, this is not true if their revised diet is not set up carefully.

Some students choose to drop meat out of their diets, option for a vegetarian lifestyle. On Northeastern University’s campus, the number of vegetarians appears to be on the rise. The reason for the change can range from students trying to maintain a healthier diet to personal moral issues, choosing “to not eat anything with a face,” said Dr. Ellen Glovsky, a nutrition professor at North-eastern.

Glovsky said there are different types of vegetarian dieters, such as vegans, who completely cut all animal and dairy products from their diet. Another variation, she said, is lacto-ovo vegetarians, who choose to eliminate all animal related products, but still eat eggs and dairy.

The amount of total fat is reduced in a vegetarian diet compared to a diet in which animal products are included, and the total fat in an animal-rich diet contains numerous fatty acids, which often promotes heart disease, Glovsky said. A vegetarian diet also eliminates cholesterol, as it is only found in animal products. Therefore, the elimination of animal products from a diet may help reduce the chance of heart disease.

Benny