Jul. 10, 2013
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), a large number of Floridians can take an important step to improve their overall health simply by changing their dietary habits.
The agency strongly recommends increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Nearly 38 percent of all adults in this state do not eat at least one fruit serving per day, while nearly 23 percent do not have at least one serving of a vegetable daily. Adolescents here eat even less vegetables than their parents. Forty-two percent do not consume at least one vegetable per day.
A diet rich in such foods, notes the report, “lowers the risk of many chronic diseases and can also help with weight management.”
The average fruit and vegetable consumption here matches that for most of the nation, with the exception that Florida adolescents eat fewer vegetables, on average, than their counterparts in other states.
Farmers and consumers both stand to benefit from a shift in dietary choices in our own state.
The report is accessible at http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/State-Indicator-Report-Fruits-Veg…