Dietary Fiber Consumption Too Low

BATTLE CREEK - Mar 12/04 - SNS -- Dietary fiber consumption in North America is too low, according to data from the U.S. government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with people in the United States aeatling just 30% of their daily needs.

Inadequate fiber intake is associated with a range of potential health issues, say health experts. Recent research has shown that the lack of fiber in the American diet may be a major part of the obesity epidemic.

In addition, fiber acts as an essential component of a healthy lifestyle by reducing the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Experts speculate this grave absence of dietary fiber is partially due to a lack of tasty fiber-rich foods.

"If you saw a food label that said, 'may reduce the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and diabetes, lower cholesterol and help control your appetite,' you'd think it was a scam. Yet that's exactly what fiber does, and the average American still consumes only 30% of the amount recommended," says nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM. "Fiber is a necessity in a well- balanced diet and critically important to health maintenance. The need to consume more fiber-dense foods is a challenge we should all strive to meet."

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