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Aug. 6, 2001 |
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Low-fat diet better for you than previously thought SEATTLE -- Aug. 6, 2001 (Cancer Digest) -- Eating a healthy low-fat diet, high in fiber and rich in fruits and vegetables is seen by many as an unobtainable ideal, but for those who stick with it, the diet is not only doable, it enhances their sense of well-being, according to a new National Cancer Institute study. Previous studies have shown that people who follow healthy diet reduce their risks of heart disease, some forms of cancer, stroke and diabetes. But actually following such a diet is often viewed as either too difficult, too costly or too bland, says Dr. Donald Corle of the National Cancer Institute, who is the lead author of the new study in the August Annals of Behavioral Medicine. "Contrary to common perceptions of low-fat diets, participants did not report any detrimental effects of the eating plan on taste, cost, the convenience of shopping for and preparing foods, their overall health assessment and general well-being or satisfaction with life," Corle said in a prepared statement. "Participants who adopted and maintained the [study] eating plan for four years reported greater confidence in their ability to care for their health, greater belief that food choices would improve health and more awareness of health and nutrition messages," Corle says. All the participants in the study had experienced a polyp in their large bowel; 194 people agreed to change their diets to prevent a recurrence and 200 people continued their typical eating regimen. On average, study participants were about 60 years old when the study began in 1993. Those on the healthy diet were counseled to obtain approximately 20 percent of their calories from fat, to consume 18 grams of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories and to have three-and-a-half servings of fruits and vegetables per 1,000 calories. This worked out to five-to-eight servings per day. The participants also kept detailed records of the food they ate and received more than 60 hours of counseling on behavior modification techniques and nutrition, which included assistance with meal preparation and recipe modification. Over a four-year period, participants were asked to rate the effect of their dietary changes. The questions focused on changes in self-perceived physical and emotional well-being, satisfaction with diet and self-care. The only hint of difficulty was in maintaining the diet while eating away from home, with those eating the healthier diet reporting more problems when eating with others than did people who did not modify their diets. This aspect of eating requires more research, Corle notes. Corle speculates that the counseling, combined with increased availability of low-fat products in supermarkets, helped make the healthier diet more convenient for participants. |
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