| Author | Post |
|---|
Mountain Mike
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 21 March 2007 12:17 am |
|
How stupid are we, anyway? See Dr. Fuhrman's reponse at the bottom of the page.
Americans Not Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies
National goals for a healthy diet are still not being met, CDC report shows]
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans are still not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, a new government report shows.
Even though many people know that fruits and vegetables help lower the risk of many diseases, consumption is still a long way from reaching the government goals set in Healthy People 2010], the researchers said. Their bad news is delivered in this week's issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Only 32.6 percent of adults are eating fruit two or more times per day, and only 27.2 percent are eating vegetables three or more times a day," said researcher Dr. Larry Cohen, an epidemic intelligence officer at the CDC.
That falls far short of the national goal of getting 75 percent of the population to eat fruit two or more times a day and 50 percent to eat vegetables three or more times per day by 2010, Cohen said.
The irony is that most Americans are aware of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, Cohen said. "However, translating that awareness to actually doing it is lacking."]
To get closer to meeting these goals, a vigorous effort is needed to reach out to the public, Cohen said. "We need more measures to educate and motivate people to make healthier dietary choices," he said. "We have to target the family, the community and the overall society, and push policies that have a broad impact."
The data for the report were gathered using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2005. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is a survey of people throughout the United States. As part of the survey, people were asked how many servings of fruits and vegetables they ate per day.
Cohen thinks that there are a number of reasons that people aren't eating fruits and vegetables in greater numbers. "It could be due to lack of access, or that some people don't like fruits and vegetables. There could also be cultural reasons," he said.
One expert agrees that an effort to get more people to eat fruits and vegetables is important.
"The new CDC report indicates something we've long known, that fruits and vegetable intake is well below recommended levels," said Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.
This is regrettable, Katz said. "These two food categories have the greatest potential of all for promoting health and fighting disease," he said.
Katz thinks that the problem is made worse by the food choices available to most Americans.
The problem is compounded by price incentives and disincentives that encourage people to eat highly processed foods," Katz said. "It may also be compounded by the popularity of low-carb diets that discourage people from eating fruit."
Katz thinks eating a healthful diet should be a national priority. "There needs to be an effort to find ways to get more people to eat fruits and vegetables and to convince them that it's important for health," he said.
More information
For more information on a healthful diet, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ht tp://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/)
SOURCES: Larry Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, public health, and director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; March 15, 2007, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report]
Last Updated: March 15, 2007]
[size=Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.]
Okay, we all know Dr. Fuhrman agrees with the fact that people aren’t eating enough fruits and veggies, but, why aren’t they eating them? What makes people so resistant to this vital part of the human diet? So I asked him. And here’s what he had to say:
Without the understanding of the addictive nature of low nutrient, high calorie foods, and how to solve it, people can't stop eating what they are addicted to.
Our medical culture has convinced the masses that taking pills (folate during pregnancy for example) and going to doctors and getting drugs are the answer to our health problems. We have a pill for each lifestyle and nutritionally caused disease today.
Diet books and the media articles even the "scientists" are still debating which unhealthy low nutrient diet is best and it is the blind leading the blind. Without understanding natural micronutrient density, they are just spinning their wheels and confusing the public.
The medical industry, the drug industry and the food industry have been effective at controlling the minds of Americans and we now have the most sickly and overweight, junk food eating population in the history of the human race.Last edited on 21 March 2007 05:32 pm by
|
jillybean720
Senior Member
|
Posted: 21 March 2007 05:05 pm |
|
| ha, I don't eat enough vegetables simply because I don't like them. I do like (and eat) lots of fruits, though. That's not to say my diet is UNhealthy because it's low in veggies--it's still filled with lean meats, skim dairy, fruits, and whole grains.
|
miss katz
New Member
| Joined: | 24 January 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 261 |
|
Posted: 25 March 2007 07:27 am |
|
the solution to this problem is simple. If the fruit and veggie ppl advertised fruits and vegetables as much as they do junkfood we would be craving it. Commercials are a form of brainwashing. Let the fruit and veggie people get in the game too. If they can make that apple look as good as Mcdonald's makes their burgers look, then they should have no problem getting people to eat it. If they make a dollar menu for fruit that can also help:)
|
1seekspie
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 18 August 2007 08:46 am |
|
Well yeah, just watch the movie Supersize Me where all of this is clearly explained...if you've never seen it, here's much of the movie's message:
If eating healthier and exercizing were encouraged as much through commercials as say eating burgers and seeing movies we'd be one fit country. But let's face it, a majority of the population believes a candy bar tastes better then a bananna and a handful of cheetos tastes better then a handful of carrots. Candy bars and chips will therefore fly off the shelves faster so it's ineviteble that the companies who produce those products will make more money. And if they make more money they can advertise more and make EVEN MORE MONEY! It's a vicious cycle that benefits only companies like Hershey or franchises like Mc Donalds.
If only there were some way to break the cycle....
Last edited on 18 August 2007 08:47 am by 1seekspie
|
Current time is 09:04 pm | |
|
|
|
