In early 2016, Amazon.com listed more than 20 new diet and weight-loss books coming to a shopping cart near you, including:
| Clean and Hungry | The Obesity Code |
| Eat Dirt | Skinny Suppers |
| The Stash Plan | East Thin, Get Fat |
| Lean Health | The Feel Good Plan |
However, despite the old, and new, advice on dieting and weight loss, statistics on weight and obesity in the U.S. remain scary. According to research done by the National Institutes of Health, more than two-thirds (68.8%) of adults over the age of 20 are considered to be overweight or obese.
Why Do So Many of Us Weigh Too Much?
It’s a simple equation: calories in versus calories out. This must be managed on a daily basis. However, with our abundance of delicious food, snacks and beverages combined with the sedentary lifestyles many of us lead, that balance has tipped in favor of too much consumed and too little used up. The extra is stored as fat.
What Can We Do About It?
We need to dispel the notion; once and for all, that strict calorie counting and extreme diets are the answer to our obesity problem. Weight management is not only about losing weight, it is also about keeping it off. One of the most effective strategies for long-term weight management is to make lifestyle changes and develop healthier habits. Something as simple as adding fiber to your diet can help you get on the right path.
Role for Chicory Root Fiber
There are several ways chicory root fiber can help. First, chicory root fiber has two calories per gram, compared to four calories per gram in sugars/carbohydrates or nine calories per gram in fats. Research supports that eating store-bought foods that replace sugars, carbohydrates and/or fats with chicory root fibers inulin and/or oligofructose can reduce calorie consumption. Also, studies show that taking in inulin and oligofructose can also help curb your appetite, which will naturally help reduce portions.
And there is more — chicory root fiber, unlike other dietary fibers, has been shown to have a prebiotic effect on the gut. That means that the chicory root fibers specifically support the growth of the good bacteria in the microflora, which provides many health benefits.
How Much Do I Need?
Studies show that to achieve the benefits of adding chicory root fiber to your diet, the recommended daily amount is 16g of oligofructose and 12g of combined inulin and oligofructose. These amounts have been associated with lower calorie intakes in the long term.
