Women who eat a lot of meat are apt to weigh more than those who do not. Previous studies have consistently shown that vegetarians are lighter and have a lower body mass index than their omnivorous counterparts.

A study from Brigham Young evaluated 284 premenopausal women, an average of 40 years old and did not smoke. The researchers separated the women into groups classified by low, moderate, and high meat intake per 1,000 calories consumed per day.

Over the 7–day study, the investigators found that the low–intake group ate less than 1.9 three–ounce servings of meat per day, as opposed to more than 3.18 servings for the high–intake group.

More than half (52.8%) of the women classified as having a high meat intake were obese, defined in this study as having greater than 35% body fat. Conversely, 37.3% of women in the moderate meat intake group were obese and only 15.6% of those in the low meat intake group were obese.

This was a cross–sectional study, so the findings do not show that meat causes obesity, while that could be the case, it could also be that obesity caused women to eat more meat – like more obese women following the Atkins diet, which is rich in meat.

There are a number of physiological mechanisms by which meat could fuel weight gain. Meat proteins may elevate insulin levels, and thereby growth factors, that could influence weight and percent body fat. It has also been shown that consumption of saturated fat - most of which comes from animal products – is associated with obesity.

It may be worth recognizing that eating less meat may be beneficial in a weight management program. It is possible to eat a healthy diet that is limited in meat. Alternative protein sources such as, lentils, nuts and legumes can provide sufficient protein and actually be beneficial in dieting.