A new study shows that eating just a little more fiber would have great impact in reducing the waist size of youth in America. Latin adolescents who increased their fiber intake for two years managed to reduce significantly the amount of fat around the waist, while young people who ate less fiber increased abdominal size.
These were the team’s findings Jaimie N. Davis, of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The team was studying the abdominal fat, which is the most dangerous because it increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The authors were asked to 85 men and women between 11 and 17 years are overweight to respond in an initial questionnaire and two years later on eating habits. At that age, “Davis said, the diet of some trends are worsening.
Consumption fell about 3 grams fiber per 1,000 calories in 46 participants and raised in the same proportion in another 35.
Abdominal fat increased by 21 percent in those who ate less fiber, but declined by 4 percent in those who increased their consumption. “Even a slight reduction of dietary fiber has a significant metabolic effect,” Davis said. The recommended fiber intake for young people is 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed, or about 25-30 grams per day.
From these results, Davis said, increasing 6 grams of fiber daily (half a cup of beans or wheat tortilla) tremendously alter the waist size of the young. “It is a possible target for children” he said. People of any age who want to improve fiber intake must carefully read food labels.
“That says ‘whole wheat’ or ‘multigrain’ does not mean it is a good source of fiber. People think that if it is brown, is wheat is good, but not necessarily so,” she explained. Instead, Davis advised people to check the Nutrition Facts label for grams of fiber the food contains per serving.
The researcher said the findings would not be applicable to other ethnic young because Latinos were more likely than whites and blacks to accumulate fat in the abdominal area.
“The increase in fiber intake would have positive effects in all cultures, but different,” Davis concluded.