Body Mass Index among Seventh-day Adventists in North Texas

Seventh-day Adventism (SDA) is a protestant religion that has adopted certain health practices as a fundamental belief, in order to live in optimal health. These include abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and pork. Many SDAs are also vegetarian. Fresh fruits and vegetables, high fiber and low fat foods are encouraged. Daily exercise, fresh air, plenty of water and rest are also strongly recommended. Historically, SDAs have enjoyed longer lives with less disease. Little research has been done to examine the effects of the county's dramatic increase in obesity rates over the last two decades among SDAs. The purpose of this research was to study the current health status of SDAs living in Johnson County, Texas by using body mass index (BMI), then compare the results to non-Adventists living in the same region. This research also explores potential variables responsible for the current BMI status by comparing the BMI among vegetarian and non-vegetarian SDAs, as well as the correlations between age, church attendance, years vegetarian and years as a church member to BMI.