An ally for weight management
The New Year brings new hope, promises and resolutions. One of the most famous resolutions on every first month of the year is on losing weight.
The holiday foods that people consumed last month had normally brought havoc to their waistlines and health. The salty and fatty fares during the festivities could raise not only the cholesterol and blood sugar levels in one's body but also his weight.
If one really wants to lose that excess pounds and start living a healthy lifestyle, he may try to consider the advice of the experts from the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC) which noted that dietary fiber is an essential ally in weight management.
AFIC said that numerous studies have led experts to more fully understand the vital role that dietary fiber can play in the prevention of weight gain and promoting weight loss.
It also cited the report from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending the increase in fiber intake, in conjunction with a low-fat diet and regular physical activity to fight the overweight and obesity battle.
AFIC cited the researchers findings that fiber has beneficial effect in weight regulation because high fiber foods generally require more chewing time which gives the body time to register when appetite is satisfied and to stop eating, thus reducing the risk of over consumption.
High fiber foods, it added, linger in the stomach longer so the sensation of fullness is sustained longer. It also tend to be less “energy dense” that offers fewer calories for the same volume of food.
In September 2002, the United States National Academies of Science reviewed the daily recommendations for dietary fiber.
The revised recommendations were 38 grams for men and 25 grams daily for women 50 years and younger; and 30 and 21 grams per day, respectively, for men and women over 50.
According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), it is not only for controlling weight but also good against constipation, prevents cancer and improves control of blood sugar level.
Weight management is important since there is an increasing trend of overweight among adults of both sexes from 1993 to 1998, according to the national survey conducted by FNRI-DOST.
In 1993, there were about 17 out of 100 adults who were overweight. This figure had increased to 20 out of 100 in 1998. Disaggregating the data by sex, more adult females than males were found to be overweight.
Also in 1993, about 14 out of 100 males while 19 out of 100 females were overweight. The same trend was observed in 1998; about 17 out of 100 males while 23 out 100 females were overweight.
Overweight when left unattended could result to obesity, the risk factor to many degenerative diseases like heart diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. – Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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