Think Fiber First for Healthier Teens
This study suggests a strong connection between a healthy, fiber-rich diet and lower risk of metabolic syndrome in teens
Metabolic syndrome describes a condition in which a person has three or more risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke--including high blood pressure, high fat in the blood (triglycerides), low HDL ("good") cholesterol, high blood sugar, and carrying excess weight around the belly and upper body (a high waist circumference). While metabolic syndrome may seem like an "adult" problem, the condition can affect teens too, leading to serious health concerns later. Fortunately, some simple moves toward a healthier diet may reduce the risk of this condition among kids.
Fiber, fat, and nutrient density
To look at how diet affects the risk of metabolic syndrome in 12- to 19-year-old boys and girls, researchers collected nutrition surveys from 2,128 kids and identified who had metabolic syndrome. Some interesting results on the connections between diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome in adolescents came out of this study:
70% of the teens had at least one risk factor for the condition and 6.4% (138 out of 2,128) of the teens had metabolic syndrome. The biggest factor seemed to point to fiber consumption, as teens who ate the most had the lowest risk of metabolic syndrome:
There was no connection between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and risk of metabolic syndrome in teens.
Fiber focus for healthier youth
This study suggests a strong connection between a healthy, fiber-rich diet and lower risk of metabolic syndrome in teens. With a few simple tweaks to your family's nutrition habits, you can put everyone on the path to better long-term health:
(J Am Diet Assoc 2011; 111:1730-4)
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, an author, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in chronic disease prevention, epidemiology, and nutrition, has taught medical, nursing, public health, and alternative medicine coursework. She has delivered over 150 invited lectures to health professionals and consumers and is the creator of a nutrition website acclaimed by the New York Times and Time magazine. Suzanne received her training in epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health at Ann Arbor.