Canadians not eating enough fruit, veggies

A New Year’s resolution to eat healthier is probably one of the most common every January – but it’s not being kept, according to a new study from Concordia University that shows most Canadians still aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables every day. Despite lots of compelling evidence that fruit and vegetables prevent disease and obesity, most Canadians still don’t eat the recommended amount of five servings a day, according to the study, which was published in Nutrition Journal. Surprisingly, the province that invented poutine actually has a higher consumption of fresh produce than other provinces. This was attributed to Quebec’s long history of farming. (Or maybe it’s the only way to negate the effects of cheese curds and gravy.) And while people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, lower education levels seemed to have an even greater impact than lower income on the consumption of fresh produce, the study found.

“People with less education were not as knowledgeable about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables,” said co-author Sunday Azagba, a PhD candidate in Concordia’s department of economics who specializes in health economics. “This study furthers our understanding of how finances or lifestyle influence fruit and vegetable consumption to eventually target groups to promote better nutrition policies.” He and Mesbah Sharaf, another PhD candidate specializing in health economics, analyzed data collected from almost 94,000 people age 18 to 69, culled from the Canadian Community Health Survey. They found significant disparities in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption by demographics and lifestyle: People with low education and low income eat produce about 4.5 times a day, while people with higher education and income eat it about five times a day. Women tend to munch on fruits and vegetables more frequently (5.4 times a day) than men (4.5 times a day).

Singles, smokers, people in their 40s and households with no children reached for the fruit bowl less often. People with a higher level of education ate carrots and apples more frequently, regardless of other demographic and lifestyle factors. Azagba also said that people who have a strong sense of belonging tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, which means that community-based programs could be another way to educate people about the benefits of produce. The study supports Statistics Canada’s 2010 report on fruit and vegetable consumption, which found that only 43.3 per cent of Canadians age 12 and older reported that they consumed produce five or more times a day, which was down from 45.6 per cent in 2009 – despite the fact a diet rich in fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.

According to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization, eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily reduces the risk of diabetes, strokes, obesity and high blood pressure. Despite that, Sharaf and Azagba found that fruit and vegetable consumption for most people is still below the daily recommended value. “There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to promote healthy eating behaviour; a multifaceted approach would be required to successfully address the low consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially among people from low socioeconomic backgrounds,” Sharaf said. “The benefits are there.”

Source: montrealgazette.com