For Immediate Release:
September 20, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder, Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

More Missourians are eating their fruits and vegetables
But three out of four still fall short of recommended servings

The number of Missourians eating fruits and vegetables every day is edging upward, but less than 25 percent of adults are getting the recommended five or more servings a day.

Last year, 22.6 percent of Missouri adults ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day, compared to 19.2 percent in 2002, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

September is National 5 A Day Month, and the health department is encouraging Missourians to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet. That message is especially important as Missouri continues to battle obesity, according to Donn a Mehrle, coordinator for the department’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Disease.

“We know that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is one sure way to improve your health as well as maintain a healthy weight, “Mehrle said. “Obesity can lead to a number of problems including diabetes, heart dise ase, asthma, arthritis and some forms of cancer.”

More than half of all Missouri adults are overweight and more than 23 percent are obese.

Tips for eating more fruits and vegetables include:

• Eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Fruits and vegetables of different colors provide a wider rage of valuable nutrients and other natural substances that help protect against chronic diseases.
• Fill up, not out. Eating fruits and vegetables instead of high-fat foods makes a person feel full on fewer calories because fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and higher in fiber than most other foods.
• Include fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks throughout the day. Whether they’re frozen, fresh, canned or dried, all fruits and vegetables count.
  • Add vegetables, such as diced tomatoes and onions, to an omelet
  • Have fruit as a mid-morning or afternoon snack
  • Much on raw vegetables with a low-fat dip
  • Order vegetable toppings on pizza

Depending on age, sex and activity level, children and adults should eat between 2 and 6 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables every day, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for American s. More information about the amount of fruits and vegetables an adult or child needs can be found www.mypyramid.gov.

Parents are key to helping their children get into the habit of eating fruits and vegetables. “It is vital that parents help children establish healthy eating habits early in life,” Mehrle said. “Preventing obesity i n children and teens will help them avoid health problems now and in the future.”

National 5 A Day Month also emphasizes the importance of exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Adults should get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Children need to be physically active at least 60 minutes on most da y of the week.

“By adding more fruits and vegetable to meals and snacks and participating in more physical activity, parents can make a real difference in their own health and the health of their children,” Mehrle said.

Eating more fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity are two recommendations in Missouri’s statewide plan to fight obesity. The plan, Preventing Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases: Missouri’s Nutrition an d Physical Activity Plan, is part of Gov. Matt Blunt’s Healthy Missourian’s Initiative developed last year. More information about the plan can be found at www.dhss.mo.gov/Obesity/.

More information about the importance of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day can found at: www.cdc.gov/5aday.