CDC: Americans not eating enough fruits and veggies

Are you eating your fruits and veggies?

According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), less than half of American adults are - and the number is even fewer for high school students.

The survey indicates that 33 percent of adults meet the recommendation of fruit consumption, which is two or more daily servings of fruit. And 27 percent of adults are meeting the recommendation for vegetables, which is three or more servings a day.

That's nowhere near the Healthy People 2010 objective that at least 75 percent of Americans eat their recommended fruit servings and 50 percent of Americans to eat their recommended vegetable servings.

For high school students, the number is even fewer, with 32 percent eating at least two servings of fruit daily and 13 percent saying they eat at least three servings of vegetables each day.

Local dietitian Christine Winters said it's an improvement, just not as much as the CDC would like to see.

But there are more options to eat healthy today than in the past, said Winters, the diabetes program coordinator with Yuma Regional Medical Center.

Now there are healthy options at places such as convenience stores. Instead of grabbing that bag of chips, Winters said someone can pick up a healthier choice.

"When you went into that store, you didn't have that option of having fresh fruit or vegetables," she said. "'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' is still true."

Today, that health choice has been "lost in translation," Winters said.

And by picking up that apple or banana instead of the brownie or chips, "they probably feel fuller, they probably spend less money, and they'd be making a healthier food choice," she said. "Think how good they'd feel if they did that five times a day."

Winters said the recommended serving of two fruits and three vegetables can vary depending on a person's activity level and other factors.

But more and more communities are supporting policies that encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, such as the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program expanding to include fresh vegetables.

"It's a huge improvement that supports what experts are saying ...," Winters said.

Winters said that adding more fruits and veggies can help provide essential vitamins and nutrients, such as beta carotene, which is important for good eyesight, especially at night.

"Citrus fruit and some of the other dark leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin C, (which provide) a better ability to fight off infection."

Also adding more fruits and vegetables to one's diet can help reduce obesity, she said. It will also help the person feel more full - and with fewer calories.

"So you just make a healthier environment inside your body that promotes good health and fights diseases," she said. "It's a very calorie-low source compared to many other food choices that you could make."

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.