Start a new diet for 2025? Nearly half of Americans make this New Year’s resolution

The first week of the New Year has already passed and many of us are starting to implement our resolutions. Have you started a new diet, one of your own for 2025? If so, you’re not alone – a recent survey found that nearly half of U.S. adults have made this top New Year’s resolution.

The questionnaire conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult found that 46% of American adults plan to start a new diet in the New Year. Among those switching to a new diet, 40% aim to cut calories, and 26% choose low-carb diets such as keto, Atkins or South Beach.

Although research has shown the benefits of a plant-based diet for weight loss, disease prevention, and environmental protection, the study shows that only 7% of respondents plan to switch to a plant-based or vegan diet, with another 7% choosing a vegetarian diet.

“Counting calories can be time-consuming and, for some people, create a negative relationship with food. Low-carb diets are associated with a number of side effects. Studies have shown that plant-based diets are effective for weight loss without intentionally restricting or counting calories. This is because plants tend to have a lower caloric density and higher fiber content, which promotes feelings of satiety,” Roxanne Becker of the Physicians’ Committee said in the study. press release.

Several studies confirm that plant-based diets are an effective tool for weight loss. In the 2017 BROAD study, overweight or obese New Zealand participants lost an average of 26.6 pounds and saw significant reductions in body mass index after six months of eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. The results were largely maintained after one year. In a 2013 GEICO study, overweight workers with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 18 weeks lost an average of 9.5 pounds, lowered cholesterol levels and improved blood sugar control. Similarly, a 2018 study found that overweight people following a plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost an average of 14.3 pounds, while those in the control group saw no significant changes.

According to Becker, a plant-based diet is not only effective for weight loss, but also reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and some cancers. It can save you money and is better for the environment. So why do so few people plan to try a plant-based diet? “Maybe they don’t know where to start,” Becker suggested.