Fruits and Vegetables Continue to Elude the American Diet

by Brie Cadman · 2010-09-10 07:32:00 -0400
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How hard is it for our fast food nation to eat some greens?

According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, very hard. Despite the continued rise in farmer's markets across America, we still can't seem to get enough fruits and vegetables. And the bar is set pretty low: at least two servings of fruit a day, at leat three servings of vegetables. The five-a-day goal? Quite a challenge in the land of plenty.

As one of the Healthy People 2010 objectives -- a set of health goals for the nation --  the CDC wants to get 75 percent of adults hitting the fruit quota and 50 percent of adults getting the vegetable quota. Surveying thousands of people across the country, the researchers saw quite a different reality. Only 32 percent of adults incorporated enough fruit into their diet and only 26 percent are eating their greens.

Surprising? Not really, considering our national obsession with packaged, processed and nutrient-poor foods. Add in lack of accesibility and "food deserts" in urban areas, and you've got  recipe for a salad-less diet.

On a state level, the highest percentage of fruit consumers were in DC (40 percent) and the lowest in Oklahoma (18 percent). The state with the highest percentage of regular vegetable consumers was Tennessee (33 percent) and the lowest in South Dakota (20 percent). No state met the Healthy People 2010 guidelines.

Is the five-a-day goal set too high? Perhaps, but numerous research studies have pointed to the benefits, including disease prevention and weight management, of eating this modest amount.

One silver lining on this report is that it was conducted in 2009. It's only a year ago, true, but this past year has seen a 16 percent rise in farmer's markets, according to the USDA. Couple that with some some seriously bold initiatives on the school lunch front and increasing presence of urban farms and gardens, and maybe we've managed to squeeze in a few more tomatoes and apples. Will we reach the five-a-day goal by the end of 2010? I'm not betting my swiss chard seeds on it. But given our low statistics, there's only way one to go: up.

Photo credit: Val's Photos

Brie Cadman is Change.org's health editor. Previous professions include biochemist, clinical trial coordinator, indoor air pollution researcher and farm hand. She earned her Master of Public Health from U.C. Berkeley.
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