In every state in the U.S., fewer than 1 in 5 adults are consuming enough fruits and vegetables. The latest U.S. data released July 9 in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that fewer than 1 in 5 adults in every state are consuming enough fruits and vegetables.
Researchers collected data from 373,580 adults from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System – and ongoing phone survey of adults in the United States.
Estimates ranged from a low of only 8 percent meeting fruit recommendations in Tennessee to 18 percent in California and from 6 percent meeting vegetable recommendations in Mississippi to a high of 13 percent in California.
In the CDC’s State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2013 says in Missouri, 43.9 percent of adults reported consuming fruits and vegetables less than one time per day, with a median range of one fruit per day and 1.5 times per day of vegetables.
Adults should eat one and a half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables each day. Meeting these recommendations may protect against many serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Fruits and vegetables are major contributors of important under-consumed nutrients; eating them instead of higher calorie foods can help manage body weight. Substantial new efforts are needed to build consumer demand for fruits and vegetables through competitive pricing, placement, and promotion in child care, schools, and communities.
To see how your state stacks up, visit http://1.usa.gov/1GhQ3iW.