US: Foundation is changing its carrot approach

For 16 years, the Produce for Better Health Foundation has pushed its "5 a Day" message to get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. It isn't working.

The foundation, a nonprofit group that works with both government and private industry, has cited research suggesting that overall consumption of fruits and vegetables is stagnant. As a result, it's trying something different.

On Monday, the foundation will introduce a campaign called "Fruits & Veggies - More Matters." The goal remains the same. It's the message that's changing.

"The reason we're making a change is the new Dietary Guidelines in 2005 recommended anywhere between four and 13 servings a day," said Elizabeth Pivonka, a registered dietitian and the president and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation. "Our worry is that 13 servings a day was going to completely turn people off."

The beauty of simplicity

It's a reasonable concern. Getting clear nutrition messages to consumers is tough. The 5 a Day approach had two problems. First, it involved teaching people to recognize a serving, which can vary depending on whether the fruit or vegetable is raw or cooked, leafy or not, or whether it comes in the form of juice.

Second, the number of recommended servings is five only for some people. The number changes based on age, weight and level of physical activity. So a large, very active adult male or teen-age boy needs 13 servings. A small child might need only four.

The new campaign has the beauty of simplicity going for it. It has just one message: Eat more fruits and vegetables.

As Pivonka said, "Fruits and vegetables are about the only things that you can pretty much eat as much as you want as long as you're not deep-frying them."

Pivonka said she was disappointed that the foundation's 5 a Day program didn't increase consumption. But, she said, the organization did have some other successes. One was in increasing awareness about the need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

People know they should

About 90 percent of us may not eat the recommended amount, she said, but research shows that more than half of all adults know they need five or more servings.

She also cited the foundation's affect on policies, including the increased recommendation for fruits and vegetables in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.

And the easily digested message of the new campaign signals that Pivonka and company have learned a valuable marketing lesson.

"5 a Day was a little bit more intellectual," Pivonka said. "We think Fruits & Veggies - More Matters is more inspirational."

The new message will be spread in large part through a Web site, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, which is already up and running.

It offers recipes, cooking and shopping tips, and more, and it mainly focuses on young, Generation X mothers who tend to get a lot of their information through the Internet. "And these moms are more involved in their children's lives than boomer moms. These are the ones who are going to ask for change and demand change in their schools," Pivonka said.

To help introduce the new campaign in Northwest North Carolina, events are planned from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday at the Lowes Foods in Sparta and at New Market Center in Boone.

Even with the simplified message, the foundation will have a tough time. One big factor is money. A major food manufacturer - such as those that make all those unhealthy snacks we eat instead of fruits and vegetables - may spend more on advertising in a week than the foundation's entire $6 million annual budget.

Such a small budget won't allow for any TV advertising. The foundation will have to rely on its partnerships with industry, the federal Centers for Disease Control and other national and state organizations to help get the word out.

Simplifying the message should help. "If you look at the field of nutrition, it's not that complicated," Pivonka said. "But when you look at one little piece in the puzzle, it can seem complicated.

"It doesn't matter how much you talk about nutrients; it's not food. So don't talk about nutrients. Talk about the food."

Scientists may still struggle with all the issues of nutrition, but in 100 years the importance of eating fruits and vegetables has not changed.

"People know this," Pivonka said. "They just need a gentle reminder." So here it is: Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Source: whitbytoday.co.uk