May 29/Augusta, Ga./Augusta Chronicle -- A study of more than 550 adolescents ages 14-18 recruited from Augusta high schools found that on average they got about 33% of the adequate amount of daily fiber, according to the report published online this month ahead of print in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Lower fiber intake was associated with an increase in visceral adipose tissue -- or belly fat -- and markers for increased inflammation, the study found. That kind of chronic inflammation is associated with the potential to develop health problems such as diabetes.