Hiatus hernia: is it preventable?

Hiatus hernia, diverticular disease of the colon, and gallstones have their maximum prevalence in economically most developed Western countries, and their minimum in Africa. These three diseases are associated not only epidemiologically but also in individual patients. Their prevalence is closely comparable in black and white Americans today. Evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that each of these diseases is in fact a result of consuming fiber-depleted diets, and it is argued that this accounts for interrelationships.