Vegan but good for kids?

The largest nutritional scientific association in the world, the Academy of Nutrition and Diatetics in the USA, has just published its opinion in a comprehensive current statement that a vegan diet is also suitable and healthy for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, small children, children, adolescents and seniors. The world's leading association of nutritionists contradicts the opinion of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE).

In a current article on vegan.eu, the psychologist Guido Gebauer addresses the question of how it is possible that the DGE in Germany deviates from the position of the world's leading professional association to such a large extent. He comes to the conclusion that the difference in opinion between the two professional associations is not scientifically justified, but lies in ideological differences. Unfortunately, journalists often failed to report on the serious differences of opinion between the DGE and the leading trade association. This gives the public a distorted picture.

From Gebauer's psychological point of view, the reason for the DGE's critical attitude towards vegan nutrition is a fear of new things and change. This corresponds to a conservative attitude. In contrast, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is more willing to reform and more open to change.

In this respect, the DGE places the possibility of an incorrectly implemented vegan diet in the foreground of its considerations. In contrast to the DGE, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics puts the positive potential of vegan nutrition in the foreground of its analysis. Accordingly, the US organization emphasizes the health and ecological benefits of a vegan diet.

Gebauer complains that these ideological differences are not known to the public. Instead, the position of the DGE on vegan nutrition is often wrongly presented as a purely scientifically based position. This is also reflected in numerous media reports that would only refer to the DGE, but would ignore the opposite position of the world's leading professional association. This in turn leads to serious public misjudgments against vegan nutrition, which even influences court decisions on vegan nutrition in kindergartens, schools and other institutions.

According to Gebauer, in order to provide the population with comprehensive information, it would be desirable if the population were not only informed about the opinion of the DGE, but also about the positive opinion of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic on vegan nutrition for children and adults.

In the article on vegan.eu, the background is explained in detail with references and can be read here: http://www.vegan.eu/kurz/vegan-stellungnahme-academy.html