WEDNESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Calorie for calorie, overweight or obese patients consume fewer complex carbohydrates and less fiber than their lean counterparts, according to a report in the June issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Overall, patients with a lower body mass index (BMI) consumed 43 percent more complex carbohydrates and 33 percent more fiber per each 1,000 calories consumed than high-BMI patients.
Jaimie N. Davis, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues compared diet, exercise and body fat in 52 overweight or obese adults and 52 matched adults of normal weight.
The researchers found that for each 1,000 calories consumed, the overweight and obese adults ingested more fat of all kinds, more saturated fat and cholesterol, and consumed less fiber (9 grams versus 12 grams), and complex carbohydrates (43 grams versus 62 grams) than the normal-weight adults. There was no significant difference in calorie consumption, although the mean intake was 1,806 calories per day in the obese/overweight group and 1,569 in the normal weight group.
Greater consumption of fiber and fruit was associated with a lower percentage of body fat, the researchers report. "These findings suggest that the composition of a diet, especially low dietary fiber and fruit intake, plays a role in the etiology of obesity," the authors write.
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