The risks associated with obesity include Type II diabetes, hypertension, circulatory disorders, cancer, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. Yet, in the United States, one out of every four adults and one out of every five children are considered obese.

A high-fiber diet appears to help you control your weight even better than a low fat diet. A 1999 Study by the Children's Hospital in Boston found that measuring how much dietary fiber a person eats may be better than counting fat grams for predicting weight gain, insulin levels and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Fiber may help prevent weight gain because high-fiber foods tend to be lower in fat and sugar than other foods, filling you up without excessive calories.

Choosing whole grains over processed ones, such as white bread, white potatoes, donuts, pasta, and white rice, helps control your waistline. A 2004 study by Tufts University (Tucker, 2004) of 459 people in Boston showed that over three years, the waistlines of people who preferred refined grains expanded at three times the rate of the subjects who preferred whole grains—an inch and a half compared to one-half inch for the whole grain eaters.

While the causes of obesity are under investigation, it’s clear a high- fiber diet rich in whole grains helps fight weight gain. If you are significantly overweight or obese, now is the time to increase dietary fiber to lower your risk of developing Type II Diabetes and other diseases. Consult your doctor before you begin an exercise or weight loss plan.