Since the birth of the dietary fibre hypothesis in the early 1970's, research on this topic has been growing rapidly. However, though the remarkable number of experimental works, the role of fibre on human health is still uncompletely understood. The objective of this book is to synthesise the current knowledge on the physiological effects of dietary fibre in man by focusing on the mechanisms of action.

In November 1994, the "Haut Comite de la Santa Publique" published its first general report on health in France. This not only took stock of the state of health of the French population but also raised questions about the organisation of the health system, defined priorities, and suggested objectives and the implementation of a genuine policy for health. What has happened since then? To find out, the HCSP engages in an unprecedented comparative analysis in this book. It studies the changes in the context of the health situation in demographic, economic, social, political and institutional terms and uses indicators to gauge the distance that still has to be covered if the health status objectives set in 1994 are to be attained by the year 2000. This allows it to examine the influence of determinants related to risk behaviours and the physical and professional environment, and to describe their variation. Lastly, starting from a discussion of a few problems concerning the organisation of the health system, it gives an in-depth analysis of the role of certain malfunctions that are specific to the French health situation.