The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new report about the state of American diets—and the numbers are raising serious concerns. It turns out that less than one in five adults in every state across the U.S. is eating enough vegetables and fruit, which means that the majority of American adults are failing to meet the daily requirement.
The findings, which have been published in the CDC’s <em>Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report</em>, show that each state varies in their population’s consumption of produce. For instance, 13% of Californians met the recommended intake of vegetables, while only six percent in Mississippi met the recommendation. Fruit consumption wasn’t much better—one of the highest fruit-consuming states was California, but only 18% of Californians met the recommendation.
According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, Americans should be consuming one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit daily, plus two to three cups of veggies, in order to benefit from their dietary nutrients. This in turn will help more Americans maintain a healthier body weight while reducing the risk of health conditions like stroke, heart disease, and even some cancers.
Despite these guidelines, this new federal data shows that overall, only 13% of the survey’s respondents are eating enough fruit, and only nine percent are meeting the recommended intake of vegetables. As the study’s author’s point out, new efforts need to be put in place to encourage more adults and children alike to build consumer demand for fresh produce—whether it’s through better product placement, competitive pricing, or promotion in schools and workplaces.
Sources for Today’s Article:
Sifferlin, A., “Only 13% of Americans Eat Enough Fruit,” TIME web site, July 9, 2015; http://time.com/3950253/fruits-vegetables-intake/.