US teens are eating less than the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, according to the latest report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that was published on 25 November.
Based on data from the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study, the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) finds that in 2010 the median consumption of fruit and vegetables among high school students was 1.2 times per day, which is considerably lower than that recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services.
In addition, says the CDC, about 1 in 4 teens eats fruit less often than once a day, and 1 in 3 eats vegetables less often than once a day.
These results suggest the majority of US teens are not meeting their current daily fruit and vegetable recommendations, which for adolescents who do less than 30 minutes of exercise a day are 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables for girls and 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables for boys. For teens who do more than 30 minutes of exercise a day, the recommended levels are even higher. (1 cup is equal to about one medium apple, eight strawberries, 12 baby carrots, or one large tomato).
The CDC urges schools and communities to adopt policies and environmental approaches that make fruit and vegetables more easily accessible and available to teens and schoolchildren. Research suggests these have greater reach and are longer lasting than diet counseling and education that target individuals.
Examples include farm-to-school initiatives, school gardens, salad bars in schools, and farmers markets. Implementing such approaches through schools can increase adolescents’ exposure to and familiarity with fruits and vegetables, says the CDC, referring to evidence that such factors influence the development of young people’s food preferences, which along with providing greater access, are important influencers of food consumption.
Written by Catharine Paddock PhD