study on the average life-spans of people (especially vegans/vegetarians)?!

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seventh day adventists are some of the longest living people in the world
http://lifetwo.com/production/node/20070…

the hunza people of turkey and pakistan are also the worlds longest living- vegetarian.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Hunza-Diet---E…

Okinawans, longest living- 99% vegetarian. Only miniscule amounts of seafood
http://www.livestrong.com/article/189910…

The Western concept of veganism was "invented" only in 1944 or barely 67 years ago. There are very few if any vegans older than that and none who have been vegans since birth. Even those who are old vegans now have consumed meat in the past and that alone can and will skew the data of any study on the longevity of "pure" vegans.

Vegetarianism has been around much longer of course and there are certainly many vegetarians who alive or have lived past the 65-70 age range and there are many reports of vegetarians who are/were centenarians (100 years plus)

"How can someone teach nutrition and say that.." Easy if professor has the data to back up such a claim. That's what your girlfriend's roommate should have done. Ask the professor for the source/data.

Could someone please tell the (undoubtedly failing) pre-med student that:

1. Vegetarians and vegans eat far more than "fruits and veggies".
2. Fats and oils (HEALTHY ones) are found in many nuts and lentils.
3. Iron is found in lentils, beans, leafy vegetables, chick peas, tofu, molasses, and other foods.
4. Zinc is found in bread, grains, legumes, beans, tempeh, tofu, nuts, and corn
5. There are only eight agreed-upon essential amino acids, all of which are easily--attainable from plant foods.
6. Any of the above is totally irrelevant to the ethical, environmental, and world poverty concerns that often motivate people to choose veg(etari)anism.

It frightens me that someone so woefully ignorant of nutrition will someday be advising people on their health.

I haven't come across much research on this, but I'll add your question to my watch list because I'd like to learn more, too.

For decades vegetarians have made up about 2% of the US population. According to TIME magazine there are three times as many ex-vegetarians in the US as active vegetarians. That should tell you something about how "good" the diet is.

With only 2% of people CLAIMING to be vegetarian, most of the research on US vegetarians has been done on memebers of the 7th Adventist Church which strongly promotes vegetarianism in their religious texts. They're a fairly large group and pretty well centered around Loma Linda University (home of the ADA) in CA.

They attend church on a regular basis, they tend to have fewer divorces, don't drink or smoke or hang around with people who do, they have better than average income for their region, exercise more often, and generally live a "clean" lifestyle. And, yes, they live longer than the "average" American. What vegetarians will fail to tell you is that Mormons live similar lifestyles, also live longer, and eat meat.

And there are so few vegans that no one has done any credible research on their life span. Now we do know that many, many vegans get sick. That "vegan" children die. That vegan children tend to have more tooth decay than children who eat meat and dairy products.

As for the Hunza people: they are not vegetarian. There is absolutely no tribe or history of a tribe or group of people who have existed for any length of time on a veg*n diet. None. From the link:

"They also raise cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens, and they continue to hunt to supplement their diets."

On the other hand the Inuit in northern regions for generations lived an almost carniverous lifestyle. When outsiders came and introduced veggies, grains, processed foods, they developed serious health issues. Some regions have gone back to their traditional diet and are much more healthy.

http://www.travel-culture.com/pakistan/h…
http://www.livestrong.com/article/199971…

Well sorry if i don't directly adress your question; it will probably be hard to prove "vegans live just as long" because their are so many variables in this. The problem with strict vegetarian diets is the lack of certain nutrients and proteins that we get from eating meat. This study does sound like it holds water because some strict vegans have to take alot of supplements in order to account for this. There is also a fat issue; we are supposed to intake some fats and oils because they provide high energy in small amounts and are the part of a healthy diet; if you don't eat the proper amount of fat you can suffer. The biggest issue is malnutrition in general but some people must uphold vegan diets because of medical conditions such as renal failure etc. IMO i think vegetarian diets for any reason except health is nonsense because we are born meat eaters just like alot of other mammals and we should not deny nature; in nature creatures eat other creatures and the cycle continues. The ONLY benefit of a vegan diet is a few health benefits if you supplement the nutrients that are not in fruits and veggies. Essential vitamins not offered in fruits and veggies are vitamin b12, b6, or minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and lastly the 9 amino acids.

Pre Med Biological Sciences Major, Chemistry Minor.