Previous positions held by Dr. Williams include Director of the Child Health Center of the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, New York, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at New York Medical College, and Director of the Graduate Program of Maternal and Child Health at New York Medical College. According to Dr. Williams, early childhood is a time when healthful eating patterns are learned. This sets the stage for prevention of many chronic diseases later in life. An important part of this preventive effort centers upon dietary fiber. Although fiber's health benefits in adulthood have been known for some time, its role in childhood was not previously emphasized.
Dietary fiber is key for promoting regularity in children.
In addition, research suggests that the consumption of a proper diet with recommended levels of dietary fiber by children reduces blood cholesterol, prevents excessive weight gain, and may help reduce the future risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and adult-onset diabetes mellitus. These values fall short of the current recommendations for fiber intake and may be inadequate for optimal health promotion and disease prevention. Based on current levels of intake, more than half of 2-18 year old US children consume less than the AHF goal. This range is thought to be safe even for children and adolescents with marginal intake of some vitamins and minerals. The USDA Food Pyramid guide suggests five servings of fruits and vegetables and six servings of breads, cereals, and grain products per day.