Dietary fiber and subsequent changes in body weight and waist circumference in European men and women.
BACKGROUND
Dietary fiber may play a role in obesity prevention. Until now, the role that fiber from different sources plays in weight change had rarely been studied.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to investigate the association of total dietary fiber, cereal fiber, and fruit and vegetable fiber with changes in weight and waist circumference.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective cohort study with 89,432 European participants, aged 20-78 y, who were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes at baseline and who were followed for an average of 6.5 y. Dietary information was collected by using validated country-specific food-frequency questionnaires. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed in each center studied, and estimates were combined by using random-effects meta-analyses. Adjustments were made for follow-up duration, other dietary variables, and baseline anthropometric, demographic, and lifestyle factors.


RESULTS
Total fiber was inversely associated with subsequent weight and waist circumference change. For a 10-g/d higher total fiber intake, the pooled estimate was -39 g/y (95% CI: -71, -7 g/y) for weight change and -0.08 cm/y (95% CI: -0.11, -0.05 cm/y) for waist circumference change. A 10-g/d higher fiber intake from cereals was associated with -77 g/y (95% CI: -127, -26 g/y) weight change and -0.10 cm/y (95% CI: -0.18, -0.02 cm/y) waist circumference change. Fruit and vegetable fiber was not associated with weight change but had a similar association with waist circumference change when compared with intake of total dietary fiber and cereal fiber.


CONCLUSIONS
Our finding may support a beneficial role of higher intake of dietary fiber, especially cereal fiber, in prevention of body-weight and waist circumference gain.
Du
Huaidong
H
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.
van der A
Daphne L
DL
Boshuizen
Hendriek C
HC
Forouhi
Nita G
NG
Wareham
Nicolas J
NJ
Halkjaer
Jytte
J
Tjønneland
Anne
A
Overvad
Kim
K
Jakobsen
Marianne Uhre
MU
Boeing
Heiner
H
Buijsse
Brian
B
Masala
Giovanna
G
Palli
Dominique
D
Sørensen
Thorkild I A
TI
Saris
Wim H M
WH
Feskens
Edith J M
EJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000378:metabolism; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult