The Implications of

Dietary Restrictions
Do dietary restrictions have an affect on physical health?
This study aims to clear up skepticism around the issue of whether
or not vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets are effective in
making adherents healthier. Through analyzing the BMIs of various
randomly sampled individuals, it was found that there was a
difference among the 4 groups (p = 0.018). After running post hoc
tests, it was discovered that the main difference was between
vegetarians and people that did not follow any particular dietary
restriction (p = 0.016), suggesting that vegetarians have a lower
BMI and are thus healthier.

Zach Stence
DE Statistics
Period A2
May 23rd , 2016

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Table of Contents
Analytical Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
- Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
- Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
- Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
- Additional Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
- Conclusion and Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A. Proof of Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
B. Survey Used for Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
C. R Code and Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
D. Figures Generated During Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E. Statisticians Portfolio Website Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
F. Extra Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Revised Inquiry Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Original Inquiry Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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INTRODUCTION
The inquiry discussed in this study is Do dietary restrictions have an affect on the
physical health of an individual? This topic is being researched because of the large amount
of controversy surrounding this issue here in Austin and in other places around the world.
This city is known for being the live music capital of the world, its hippies, and its love
for all things weird. Among these are various diets you can go on to eat healthier and
cleanse your body. In the statistical analysis, the specific diets of vegetarianism, veganism,
and gluten-free were used to see if people that adhere to these diets are healthier on average
(based on BMI) than people that do not adhere to a specific dietary restriction.
I first gained interest in this topic because my girlfriend is gluten-free (due to a medical
reason) and has a hard time finding foods to eat and misses eating foods that contain
gluten. Knowing that some people follow this diet to lose weight, I decided to research its
effectiveness. After very little Google searching, it was found that there is a lot of debate
surrounding whether or not these diets actually help you be healthier. Pamela Cureton, a
dietitian researcher at the Center for Celiac Research, has stated that even though going
gluten-free is one of the most popular diets, there is no scientific basis behind following
a gluten-free diet to lose weight (Gluten). Despite this skepticism, sales of gluten-free foods
[surged] 63 percent in [the] last two years according to a study done by Mintel (Glutenfree). This is due to those who must maintain a gluten-free diet for medical reasons, as
well as those who perceive gluten-free foods to be healthier or more natural (Topper). To
the average person, this study has a ton of importance since the popularity of these diets
are increasing at a huge rate and experts still say they are not effective at living a healthier
life. This study will help people decide whether or not they want to move to one of these
diets to try and lead a different lifestyle.
Additionally, there is skepticism behind the effectiveness of vegetarian and vegan diets.
Adherents to vegan diets generally state that a diet without any meat or dairy products
[contains] a lot less saturated fat, which is related to increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease. (Lynch). But, vegan diets are also more susceptible to

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being nutritionally poor because they lack calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc
and omega-3 fatty acids, causing many vegans to take supplements (Lynch). While vegans
may be eating healthier foods overall, they are missing out on necessary components of life
and end up having to take dietary supplements which are not very good for their bodies. To
attempt to clear up skepticism about these diets and find out which is the healthiest and
leads to the best BMI.

DATA COLLECTION
To collect data, a semi-random sample was obtained from all students currently attending the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA). The sampling procedure for this study
was slightly strange. Since there are relatively few people at LASA that follow these diets
and there was not a list of all of them, first every student that followed any of these diets
was sought out through social media. I collected data from all of them and used it all in
my analysis. Because of this, my result may be slightly inaccurate due to using the (likely)
full population of vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free people at LASA rather than sampling
them. However, a random sample of people at LASA that do not follow any specific dietary
restriction was collected. To accomplish this, a complete roster of all current LASA students
was obtained from the LASA administration. Next, a random number was assigned to each
of the 1016 students and sorted them in increasing order based on the random numbers. The
first 25 were then chosen and surveyed. Out of those 25, 15 responded to the survey and their
data was used. While this is mostly random, this also could have introduced sampling response bias as not all people that were randomly selected responded to the survey. However,
this influence should be relatively small since most of the individuals responded. Because
of these two major issues, it is likely that the sample was not representative of the population.

DATA ANALYSIS
To complete the analysis of the data, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test with 4
groups (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and no dietary restriction) was conducted. This type

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of test was used because the objective of the study was to find if the mean BMI of the 4
independent groups was significantly different, indicating that one of the diets was more
effective than the others. Before using an ANOVA test however, certain conditions must be
met in order to ensure the tests significance. These conditions are:
Random Sample - Each individual must be randomly selected from the population and
each must have the same chance of being selected.
- As stated previously, individuals that did not follow a dietary restriction were
randomly selected from the population of all LASA students. The other 3 groups
were not randomly selected, unfortunately.
Independence - Each individual must be independent from each other individual and
each sample must be less than 10% of their respective population.
- No individuals had an affect on one another since the survey was privately sent out
to each surveyee and they could not see each others responses.
- The vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free samples all violate the 10% rule. Nonadherents satisfied this rule.
Normality - Within each group, the distributions must be approximately normal, slightly
skewed with n > 15, or n > 30.
-

Vegetarian - slightly right-skewed with n > 15.

Vegan - Not normal, only n = 2.
Gluten-free - Right-skewed with only n = 8.
No dietary restrictions - Approximately normal with n = 15.

Variance - All groups variances must be approximately equal (varmax < 2 varmin ).
- The smallest variance was 0.018 (vegan) and the largest variance was 51.376
(gluten-free). This means that the variance condition was not satisfied because
some groups were more spread out than others.
Since not all conditions were satisfied for the test, the results must be taken with
consideration. Caution should be used when applying the results to ones personal life.
The ANOVA test including all 4 groups returned an F -statistic of 3.728 which was well
over the F -critical value of 2.84. This means that the test came out significant with a p-value
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of 0.018. This means that if we assume the there is no difference between all the groups there
is only a 1.8% chance that we observe an F -value this extreme. The source table containing
the various statistics of the test can be found in the R code.
Since this p-value is less than the significance level of = 0.05, the null hypothesis that
all 4 groups have the same average BMI was rejected, meaning that at least 1 group was
significantly different than the others. Running Tukey HSD post hoc tests to find which
groups were significantly different produced the table that can also be found in the R code.
Using these values we can see that the test between individuals with no dietary restriction and vegetarians came out very significant (since the adjusted p-value of 0.015 is less
than = 0.05). This suggests that vegetarians have a much lower average BMI than people
that do not follow a dietary restriction.

ADDITIONAL ANALYSES
While collecting data, additional questions were asked besides dietary restriction, height,
and weight. Participants were also surveyed on their self prescribed activity level (on a
scale of 1 to 5) and what sports they play. In order to gain better insight upon the data,
category of dietary restriction and activity level will be analyzed using a chi-square test of
independence. The null hypothesis for this test is that activity level and dietary restriction
are independent of one another; while the alternative hypothesis is that they are associated.
Before trusting the results of the test, certain conditions must be satisfied:
Random Sample - Each individual must be randomly selected from the population and
each must have the same chance of being selected.
- As stated previously, individuals that did not follow a dietary restriction were
randomly selected from the population of all LASA students. The other 3 groups
were not randomly selected, unfortunately.
Independence - Each individual must be independent from each other individual and
each sample must be less than 10% of their respective population.

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- No individuals had an affect on one another since the survey was privately sent out
to each surveyee and they could not see each others responses.
- The vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free samples all violate the 10% rule. Nonadherents satisfied this rule.
Expected Counts - All expected count cells must be greater than 1 and no more than
20% of the cells may be less than 5.
- This condition was extensively violated. Most of the cells had less than 1 expected
count due to the small sample size.
Since not all conditions were satisfied for the test, the results must be taken with
consideration. Caution should be used when applying the results to ones life.
The chi-square test of independence yielded a 2 value of 11.866 which was much less
than the 2 critical value of 21.03 meaning that the value did not fall in the critical region.
Thus, the p-value was 0.457 leading to the failure of rejecting the null hypothesis that activity
level and dietary restriction are not associated. Tables showing the actual and expected
counts are included in the R code.
Additionally, sports played and dietary restriction were analyzed using a chi-square test
of independence. The null hypothesis for this test was that there is no relationship between
sports played and dietary restriction; while the alternative hypothesis is that there is an
association. Before trusting the results of the test, certain conditions must be satisfied:
Random Sample - Each individual must be randomly selected from the population and
each must have the same chance of being selected.
- As stated previously, individuals that did not follow a dietary restriction were
randomly selected from the population of all LASA students. The other 3 groups
were not randomly selected, unfortunately.
Independence - Each individual must be independent from each other individual and
each sample must be less than 10% of their respective population.
- No individuals had an affect on one another since the survey was privately sent out
to each surveyee and they could not see each others responses.
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- The vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free samples all violate the 10% rule. Nonadherents satisfied this rule.
- Some violations occur because some individuals play more than one sport, thus
placing them either in both categories or in a completely different category by
themself.
Expected Counts - All expected count cells must be greater than 1 and no more than
20% of the cells may be less than 5.
- This condition was extensively violated. Most of the cells had less than 1 expected
count due to the small sample size.
Since not all conditions were satisfied for the test, the results must be taken with
consideration. Caution should be used when applying the results to ones life.
The results of this test were quite surprising. The chi-square test of independence
yielded a 2 value of 99.186 which was barely over the 2 critical value of 90.53. This
gave a p-value of 0.032 leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis that there is not an
association between dietary restriction and sports played. However, the data for this test was
very untrustworthy so even though these results are interesting, they are likely completely
insignificant. Tables showing the actual and expected counts are included in the R code.
Through completing these other methods of analyzing the data, more insight was gained.
It can be seen that dietary restriction not only affects BMI but also affects the types of sports
individuals play (even if only slightly). This interesting and surprising conclusion can be used
to further interpret the main results of this study, suggesting a link between BMI and sports
played or BMI and activity level.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

In conclusion, various dietary restrictions such as vegetarianism, veganism, and glutenfree do make you healthier than not following any dietary restriction. Specifically, vegetarians
have a much lower BMI than non-dieters. From this project, I learned many things. First, I
learned than obtaining data that is both random and representative of the population at hand
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is much harder than it seems. I assumed that I would be able to randomly sample everybody
and get enough people and an even amount for each group and that all conditions would be
satisfied. However this was not the case. Instead I had to use a very questionable sampling
method for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free individuals which added unnecessary error
into my analysis. Also, I learned more about the power of hypothesis testing and how it
can actually be applied to the real world. Through statistics a ton of information about the
world can be learned and then applied to improve life on this planet.
For those, wishing to repeat this experiment, there are certain improvements to be made.
For one, find a population with enough vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free individuals in
order to ensure a perfectly random sample for every group, thus improving the significance
of the test. Also, to remove even more error, make sure that all individuals respond to the
survey so as to not introduce any response bias. Lastly, ask a few more questions in the
survey in order to analyze the data further in many different ways.
All of us humans should use this information wisely and spend time analyzing our diets
to see how we can optimize them to eat the foods we like and still lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Works Cited
BMI Calculator. BMI Calculator. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.bmicalculator.net/>.
Gluten Free most Popular Approach to Weight Loss for 2013 (but It Doesnt Work, Say Dietitians). FoodNavigator. N.p., 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2016. <http://www.foodnavigatorusa.com/Markets/Gluten-free-most-popular-approach-to-weight-loss-for-2013-but-it-doesnt-work-say-dietitians>.
Lynch, Mary. Is a Vegan Diet Healthy? - Jamie Oliver Features. Jamie Oliver.
N.p., 31 Dec. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-andfeatures/features/vegan-diet-healthy/>.
Topper, Amanda. Gluten-free Foods - US - September 2014. Mintel. N.p., Sept. 2014.
Web.

17 May 2016.

<http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/gluten-

free-foods-surge-63-percent>.
Gluten-free Foods Surge 63% in Last Two Years. Mintel: Global Market Research Market
Insight. N.p., 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 May 2016. <http://www.mintel.com/presscentre/food-and-drink/gluten-free-foods-surge-63-percent>.

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Appendix A
Proof of Data Collection

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Appendix B
Survey Used for Data Collection
Link to survey: http://goo.gl/forms/Qq5GCJ2GHW5k82qt2

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Appendix C
R Code and Output
1
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>
>
>
>
>
>

# ###### The Implications of Dietary restrictions #######

# ## Final Project

# Subset data based on dietary restrictions

vegetarian <- data [ data $ restrictions == " I am vegetarian . " ,]
gluten <- data [ data $ restrictions == " I am gluten - free . " | data $ restrictions == " I am
gluten - free . , I am vegetarian . " ,]
> vegan <- data [ data $ restrictions == " I am vegan . " ,]
> norest <- data [ data $ restrictions == " I do not follow a dietary restriction . " |
data $ restrictions == " No sodas or bad drinks " ,]
>
> # Calculate descriptive statistics
> aggregate ( BMI ~ restrictions , data , mean )
restrictions
BMI
1
I am gluten - free . 23.32875
2
I am vegan . 20.18500
3
I am vegetarian . 20.29455
4 I do not follow a dietary restriction . 24.39000
> aggregate ( BMI ~ restrictions , data , var )
restrictions
BMI
1
I am gluten - free . 51.376070
2
I am vegan . 0.018050
3
I am vegetarian . 4.983816
4 I do not follow a dietary restriction . 13.464371
>
> # Generate histograms of groups and all data
> int <- c (15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , 40 , 45)
> hist ( vegetarian $ BMI , breaks = int , main = " Histogram of Vegetarian BMIs " , xlab = " BMIs
")
> hist ( gluten $ BMI , breaks = int , main = " Histogram of Gluten - Free BMIs " , xlab = " BMIs " )
> hist ( vegan $ BMI , breaks = int , main = " Histogram of Vegan BMIs " , xlab = " BMIs " )
> hist ( norest $ BMI , breaks = int , main = " Histogram of No Restriction BMIs " , xlab = " BMIs
")
> hist ( data $ BMI , breaks = int , main = " Histogram of BMIs " , xlab = " BMIs " )
>
> # Run ANOVA test
> ANOVAtest <- aov ( data $ BMI ~ data $ restrictions )
> summary ( ANOVAtest )
Df Sum Sq Mean Sq F value Pr ( > F )
data $ restrictions 3 169.8
56.59
3.728 0.0181 *
Residuals
43 652.8
15.18
--Signif . codes : 0
***
0.001
**
0.01
*
0.05
.
0.1
1
> TukeyHSD ( ANOVAtest )
Tukey multiple comparisons of means
95% family - wise confidence level

43
44

Fit : aov ( formula = data $ BMI ~ data $ restrictions )

45
46

$ data $ restrictions
diff

47

lwr
upr

48

adj
-3.1437500 -11.3757408

I am vegan . - I am gluten - free .

5.088241 0.7383791

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49

50

51

52

53

I am vegetarian . - I am gluten - free .

-3.0342045
1.264812 0.2490219
I do not follow a dietary restriction . - I am gluten - free . 1.0612500
5.619920 0.9244264
I am vegetarian . - I am vegan .
0.1095455
7.799861 0.9999799
I do not follow a dietary restriction . - I am vegan .
4.2050000
12.043423 0.4858337
I do not follow a dietary restriction . - I am vegetarian .
4.0954545
7.582108 0.0155946

-7.3332216
-3.4974201
-7.5807700
-3.6334231
0.6088013

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>
> # # Additional Analyses
> # Dietary restriction and activity level
> CHISQtest <- chisq . test ( data $ restrictions , data $ active )
Warning message :
In chisq . test ( data $ restrictions , data $ active ) :
Chi - squared approximation may be incorrect
> CHISQtest $ expected
data $ active
data $ restrictions
1
2
5
I am gluten - free .
0.17021277 2.7234043
0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.04255319 0.6808511
0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.46808511 7.4893617
0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction . 0.31914894 5.1063830
0.31914894
> CHISQtest

2.7234043 2.2127660
0.6808511 0.5531915
7.4893617 6.0851064
5.1063830 4.1489362

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Pearson s Chi - squared test

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data : data $ restrictions and data $ active

X - squared = 11.866 , df = 12 , p - value = 0.4565

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>
> # Dietary restriction and sports played
> CHISQtest2 <- chisq . test ( data $ restrictions , data $ sports )
Warning message :
In chisq . test ( data $ restrictions , data $ sports ) :
Chi - squared approximation may be incorrect
> CHISQtest2 $ expected
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
BADMINTON
Baseball
boxing Cheer /
Waterpolo Cross Country
I am gluten - free .
0.17021277 0.17021277 0.17021277
0.17021277
0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.04255319 0.04255319 0.04255319
0.04255319
0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.46808511 0.46808511 0.46808511
0.46808511
0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction . 0.31914894 0.31914894 0.31914894
0.31914894
0.31914894
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
Dance Dance , Running , Pilates
Golf
Horses
I am gluten - free .
0.34042553
0.17021277

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0.17021277 0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.08510638
0.04255319
0.04255319 0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.93617021
0.46808511
0.46808511 0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction . 0.63829787
0.31914894
0.31914894 0.31914894
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
I don t play any sports . I run a lot
Lacrosse , Rowing / biking
I am gluten - free .
2.3829787 0.17021277
0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.5957447 0.04255319
0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
6.5531915 0.46808511
0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction .
4.4680851 0.31914894
0.31914894
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
Rowing
Run Run and Swim
Running
Soccer
swimming
I am gluten - free .
0.17021277 0.17021277
0.17021277
0.17021277 0.8510638 0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.04255319 0.04255319
0.04255319
0.04255319 0.2127660 0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.46808511 0.46808511
0.46808511
0.46808511 2.3404255 0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction . 0.31914894 0.31914894
0.31914894
0.31914894 1.5957447 0.31914894
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
Swimming Swing dancing
Tennis Tennis
, Dance Tennis , I run
I am gluten - free .
0.17021277
0.17021277 0.6808511
0.17021277
0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.04255319
0.04255319 0.1702128
0.04255319
0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.46808511
0.46808511 1.8723404
0.46808511
0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction . 0.31914894
0.31914894 1.2765957
0.31914894
0.31914894
data $ sports
data $ restrictions
Track , part of running group volleyball
Volleyball
I am gluten - free .
0.17021277 0.17021277
0.17021277
I am vegan .
0.04255319 0.04255319
0.04255319
I am vegetarian .
0.46808511 0.46808511
0.46808511
I do not follow a dietary restriction .
0.31914894 0.31914894
0.31914894
> CHISQtest2

120
121

Pearson s Chi - squared test

122
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124

data : data $ restrictions and data $ sports

X - squared = 99.186 , df = 75 , p - value = 0.03227

code.R

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May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

Appendix D
Figures Generated During Analysis

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Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

Appendix E
Statisticians Portfolio Website Link
http://zachstencestats.weebly.com

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Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

Appendix F
Extra Information
Link to Google Spreadsheet containing data: https://goo.gl/tjeYSM

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Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

Revised Inquiry Pitch

I am proposing to perform a study regarding various dietary restrictions and how they
affect ones health (both physical and mental). This is relevant, especially here in Austin
and at LASA, because of the huge popularity of gluten-free and vegetarian diets and the
skepticism some have of their effectiveness on making a person healthier. Not only will this
study provide insight as to whether or not these diets function in making people healthier,
it will also allow us to discover which diet works the best. I first thought of this question
when talking to my girlfriend who follows a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. I had
always assumed that dietary restrictions would of course make a person healthier. However,
after some research on the Internet, the effectiveness of these diets is commonly debated.
Pamela Cureton, a dietitian researcher at the Center for Celiac Research, has stated that
even though going gluten-free is one of the most popular diets, there is no scientific
basis behind following a gluten-free diet to lose weight (Gluten). However, gluten-free
diets become more popular every day. This not only occurs with gluten-free diets, but also
with veganism and vegetarianism. Adherents to vegan diets generally state that a diet
without any meat or dairy products [contains] a lot less saturated fat, which is related to
increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease. (Lynch). But, vegan diets are
also more susceptible to being nutritionally poor because they lack calcium, vitamin D,
iron, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, causing many vegans to take supplements
(Lynch). In response to the skepticism surrounding this subject, I will find out if people that
adhere to these diets are healthier on average and, if so, which is the healthiest.
For this study, two main variables will be analyzed: type of dietary restriction and
BMI (using a BMI calculator). Type of dietary restriction is a categorical variable (no diet,
gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, other) and BMI is a quantitative variable (ranging from 18 to
40). Data for this study will be collected in the population of LASA High School students
(all grade levels). As far as sampling is concerned, I will obtain a list of every students
name (and possibly email) and send an email out to a random (hopefully representative)
sample containing a link to a survey I have created. My survey will be anonymous (if the

20

Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

surveyees wish) and they can back out at any point and have their data removed from
my study. These questions include biographical information (name, biological sex, age,
and grade level), physical information (dietary restrictions, reasons for restrictions, height,
weight, activity level, and sports played). Once data is collected through this survey, I will
use an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test to discover if the BMI of various groups differs
and which one is the highest/lowest.
This study, if everything works out, should yield interesting and useful results concerning
the effectiveness of certain dietary restrictions and their effects on physical health. However,
this study will require extra work done in collecting a representative sample of the whole
school. One issue I anticipate is not having enough individuals to sample or having a hard
time finding and forming contact with subjects to send them the survey. Since there are
relatively few vegans, vegetarians, and gluten free people, I will have to simply use every
one I can get in my study rather than doing a random sample of them. Lastly, the sample
may not be representative of the population. However, I am excited to perform this study
and have very high hopes!

21

Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

Original Inquiry Pitch

I am proposing to perform a study regarding various dietary restrictions and how they
affect ones health (both physical and mental). This is relevant, especially here in Austin
and at LASA, because of the huge popularity of gluten-free and vegetarian diets and the
skepticism some have of their effectiveness on making a person healthier. Not only will this
study provide insight as to whether or not these diets function in making people healthier,
it will also allow us to discover which diet works the best. I first thought of this question
when talking to my girlfriend who follows a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. I had
always assumed that dietary restrictions would of course make a person healthier. However,
after some research on the Internet, the effectiveness of these diets is commonly debated.
Pamela Cureton, a dietitian researcher at the Center for Celiac Research, has stated that
even though going gluten-free is one of the most popular diets, there is no scientific
basis behind following a gluten-free diet to lose weight (Gluten). However, gluten-free
diets become more popular every day. This not only occurs with gluten-free diets, but also
with veganism and vegetarianism. Adherents to vegan diets generally state that a diet
without any meat or dairy products [contains] a lot less saturated fat, which is related to
increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease. (Lynch). But, vegan diets are
also more susceptible to being nutritionally poor because they lack calcium, vitamin D,
iron, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, causing many vegans to take supplements
(Lynch). In response to the skepticism surrounding this subject, I will find out if people that
adhere to these diets are healthier on average and, if so, which is the healthiest.
For this study, two main variables will be analyzed: type of dietary restriction and
BMI (using a BMI calculator). Type of dietary restriction is a categorical variable (no diet,
gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, other) and BMI is a quantitative variable (ranging from 18 to
40). Data for this study will be collected in the population of LASA High School students
(all grade levels). As far as sampling is concerned, I will obtain a list of every students name
(and possibly email) and send an email out to a random (hopefully representative) sample
containing a link to a survey I have created. These questions include biographical informa-

22

Zach Stence
May 23rd , 2016

The Implications of Dietary Restrictions

tion (name, biological sex, age, and grade level), physical information (dietary restrictions,
reasons for restrictions, height, weight, activity level, and sports played), and emotional
health (depression and average happiness level). Once data is collected through this survey,
I will use an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test to discover if the BMI of various groups
differs and which one is the highest/lowest.
This study, if everything works out, should yield interesting and useful results concerning
the effectiveness of certain dietary restrictions and their effects on physical and emotional
health. However, this study will require extra work done in collecting a representative sample
of the whole school. One issue I anticipate is not having enough individuals to sample or
having a hard time finding and forming contact with subjects to send them the survey.
Lastly, the sample may not be representative of the population. However, I am excited to
perform this study and have very high hopes!

23