According to researchers at the University of Texas, dietary fibre may play a key role in obesity.
Currently, over 300 million adults are obese worldwide, according to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization.
The new study used food frequency questionnaires to compare the diets of 52 overweight/obese volunteers and 52 normal weight controls, matched for age, sex, and height.
Comparison of the diets on a macronutrient level showed that the obese subjects generally had diets that were higher in fat (five per cent), higher in protein (0.9 per cent) and lower in carbohydrates (7.1 per cent).
Dietary fibre was highlighted by the researchers as the only nutrient whose consumption led to a significant amount of the variance in body fat.
The normal group consumed about three grams more of fibre per day than their obese counterparts.
The researchers also found that the obese group ate less fruit servings per day, while dairy and vegetable intake was similar between the groups.
These latest findings were published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
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