PEDIATRICS Vol. 105 No. 2 February 2000, p. e21
Received Jun 21, 1999; accepted Sep 3, 1999.
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From the * Department of Food and Nutrition, North Dakota State
University, Fargo, North Dakota;
Tulane School of Public Health and
Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; § School of Human Ecology,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
NutriPro
Communications, Fargo, North Dakota.
Objective. To evaluate the impact of fat and fiber intake on energy and nutrient intake of 15-year-old adolescents.
Study Design. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were collected on a random sample of 15-year-olds. Subjects were then categorized into groups based on fat and fiber intake, with 319 students meeting criteria for 1 of 4 dietary intake quadrants: low fat, low fiber; low fat, high fiber; high fat, low fiber; and high fat, high fiber. Students with medium fat or fiber intakes were excluded from the study. Low-fat and high-fat intake were defined as <30% and >40% of total energy intake, respectively. Low- and high-fiber intake were defined as <15 g/day and >20 g/day, respectively.
Results. Low-fat and high-fiber intake had a minimal impact on energy intake and did not adversely affect nutrient intake. High-fiber intake was associated with greater likelihood of adequate intake of vitamins A, B6, B12, and C; niacin; thiamin; riboflavin; folacin; magnesium; iron; zinc; phosphorus; and calcium. High-fat intake was associated with greater likelihood of adequate vitamin B12 intake. Significant differences in fat and fiber intake distributions were found for ethnic background and gender, with more non-white than white students in the high-fat groups and more males than females in the high-fiber groups.
Conclusions. A low-fat and high-fiber diet meeting current nutrition recommendations does not adversely affect energy or nutrient intake, increases nutrient density of the diet, and increases the likelihood of adequate intake for several key nutrients. Key words: adolescence, nutrition, dietary fat, dietary fiber, nutrient adequacy, nutrient intake.
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