OCR Text |
Show i Another Price of Success ? For the '80s Woman J Women of the '80s work hard on the job and at home. They're busy and often under stress. In regards to , health, a result of this "Superwoman Syndrome" is that nearly six million young adult women are experiencing irregularity at least once a month or more, according to a 1987 study commissioned com-missioned by Rydelle Laboratories, Inc. "It's not hard to understand why younger women are beginning to experience ex-perience this problem more often," says G.L. Carlson, Ph.D., gastroenterological gastro-enterological expert at Rydelle Laboratories, the makers of Fiberall bulk laxatives. "These women are living fast-paced lifestyles. Many of them are experiencing added stress in their lives and many of them don't maintain high-fiber diets. All of these situations contribute to irregularity." The best way to prevent and alleviate the problem, says Dr. Carlson, is to increase fluid intake, to exercise regularly, and to maintain diets that are high in fiber. The recommended daily intake of fiber is between 25 and 35 or more grams. Health experts, however, estimate that Americans, on the average, consume only about 11 grams per day. ' ' . . "Most women who suffer ' from ' irregularity know that their diets are low. in fiber, but some of them don't like the taste of fiber-rich foods, and thus, find it hard to increase their consumption of it," says Dr. Carlson. ' For those women who find eating enough fiber hard to achieve or feel they need a little extra help from a laxative, Dr. Carlson explains that most doctors would then recommend a bulk laxative like Fiberall, which works by duplicating the natural action of high-fiber foods in the digestive system. "Physicians will usually first recommend a high-fiber diet, adequate , fluid intake and - exercise," says Carlson. "If a doctor feels a laxative is needed, he or she will normally recommend a bulk laxative because they do not contain harsh chemicals and they work gently on the system to promote relief." With new studies showing that recurring patterns of irregularity tend to begin afflicting women in their mid-to-late twenties, manufacturers manufac-turers are changing their products to meet the needs of these younger adult consumers. For instance, recently introduced in-troduced on the market are chewable bulk laxative tablets that work just like the powders, but do not have to be mixed in water and therefore offer the convenience and natural action young adult women seek. "We found that woman today want convenience, con-venience, but they also want to avoid unpleasant side effects, such as cramping, that may occur with some chemical laxatives," says Carlson. Overall, Carlson says that by increasing in-creasing one's intake of fiber, exercising exercis-ing regularly and drinking plenty of water, young adult women should be well insured against bouts of irregularity. ir-regularity. And, during those times when laxative help is needed, one should follow the advice of most doctors and use a bulk laxative for gentle, effective relief. |