I think that there are a wide variety of diets that can work for a person. My spouse is a lifelong vegetarian and does just fine. Some in his family are thin vegetarians and some are fat. A meatless diet doesn't necessarily mean a healthy or unhealthy diet. My personal preference is for meat in my diet and I find it a bit easier to regulate my food intake when it includes some meat and includes far less starch than my husband's diet includes. But it may be magical thinking.