Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39888238›Full record

SynthesisObesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity2025

Plant-based and sustainable diet: A systematic review of its impact on obesity.

Sara P Mambrini, Claudia Penzavecchia, Francesca Menichetti, Andrea Foppiani, Alessandro Leone, Marta Pellizzari, Federica Sileo, Alberto Battezzati, Simona Bertoli, Ramona De Amicis

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Plant-based and sustainable diet: A systematic review of its impact on obesity.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sara P MambriniIRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Obesity Unit and Laboratory of Nutrition and Obesity Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, 20145 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3414-5879
Claudia PenzavecchiaInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0981-1507
Francesca MenichettiInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Andrea FoppianiInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2803-7713
Alessandro LeoneInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8063-8490
Marta PellizzariIRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Obesity Unit and Laboratory of Nutrition and Obesity Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, 20145 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9338-9147
Federica SileoInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5732-2228
Alberto BattezzatiInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4134-0557
Simona BertoliIRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Obesity Unit and Laboratory of Nutrition and Obesity Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, 20145 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5867-8074
Ramona De AmicisIRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Obesity Unit and Laboratory of Nutrition and Obesity Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, 20145 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0403-5465

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The food system significantly affects the environment through land use, emissions from livestock, deforestation, and food waste. Diet sustainability considers the environmental effects of food production, distribution, and consumption. Animal products emit more greenhouse gases than plant-based foods, prompting a shift towards plant-focused diets for reduced emissions. Sustainable diets, like the EAT-Lancet model, prioritize plant-based foods, adjusting for regional eating habits. These diets aim to be both environmentally friendly and conducive to human health, addressing concerns like obesity and chronic diseases. Obesity is a major global health challenge, and its complex relationship with food production and consumption patterns calls for sustainable solutions to reduce pressure on ecosystems and promote healthier lifestyles. Tackling obesity requires holistic strategies that address not only individual health but also the broader environmental impacts of food systems. A systematic review examined the link between plant-based diets and obesity focusing on studies assessing Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat assessment. Despite limited research, evidence suggests that adherence to a plant-based diet, particularly a healthy one, is associated with lower obesity rates. More longitudinal and intervention studies are necessary for a stronger consensus on the matter.

Indexed as

Diet, VegetarianObesityBody Mass IndexHumansEAT‐lancetobesityplant‐based dietsustainability

Identifiers

PMID39888238
PMCPMC12069162

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.