Americans still refusing to eat their veggies

Less than one-third of adults eat recommended daily servings, survey shows
Associated Press

ATLANTA - Fewer than a third of American adults eat the amount of fruits and vegetables the government recommends, a trend that’s remained steady for more than a decade, health officials said Thursday.

That’s “well below” the government’s goal of getting 75 percent of Americans to eat two servings of fruits and three of vegetables each day by 2010, said Dr. Larry Cohen of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The telephone survey of more than 305,000 adults in 2005 indicates the country is only about halfway toward meeting the goal three years from now.

The federal agency said it doesn’t know why people aren’t eating more veggies or fruits. Cohen said future surveys will ask people what other foods they are eating.

Susan Krause, a clinical dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, said people are eating more refined sugars or choosing protein instead of fruits and vegetables.

“There’s so much information out there and people get very confused. When they’re looking at protein, they feel that’s the solution when they’re not looking at long-term health benefits,” she said. “There’s so many fabricated foods now and people are looking at convenience.”

Not only are fruits and vegetables lower-calorie, they also have minerals and fiber that help guard against chronic diseases and cancer, the CDC says. See: Americans still refusing to eat their veggies