Yeah.
Average Americans have not eaten more fruits and vegetables in the last ten years. Even though we have learned so much more about healthy eating and all the benefits you get from it, Americans still don’t eat enough healthy foods.
That is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us in a recent report. Let me give you the highlights in, well, English.
The CDC regularly polls American about their healthy and unhealthy habits in a representative survey, which they call the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. It is an anonymous poll, so if the term “surveillance” scares you, don’t worry. This is a large survey and only six of the questions are about eating fruit and vegetables.
The good thing about this survey is that the CDC has asked these same questions every two years for the last ten years.
The number of people who eat fruit twice a day or more, was lower in 2009 than it was in 2000.
The number of people who eat vegetables at least tree times a day did not change in the same time period.
The numbers vary by state too. When it comes to fruit, the District of Columbia consumes the most per person. Oklahoma consumes the least per person.
Tennesseans eat more vegetables than anybody else and people in South Dakota eat the least.
What you have to understand is that eating fruit twice a day and vegetables three times a day, is the absolute minimum. In fact, it is not enough. And only 32.5% of Americans eat fruit twice a day, and 26.3% eat vegetables three times a day.
The CDC is modest about the claims of benefits too eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.
A diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for many leading causes of death and can play an important role in weight management. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 2010)
That is almost laughable. Can reduce the risk for many leading causes of death? It absolutely reduces your risk of getting a heart attack. There is more than 35 years worth of studies that prove that.
And can play an important role in weight management? If you base your diet on fruits and vegetables, you will loose weight. Period. I understand, the CDC is government and they cannot upset anybody.
But you and I know that we should eat mainly fruits and vegetables. In particular vegetables.
Most Americans don’t and you don’t want to be like most Americans in this respect.
If you act like most Americans, you will get sick like most Americans.
You will shorten your life like most Americans.
You know what to do.
Don’t be average.
Be healthy.