Study investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory and the National Cancer Institute reported in the February 1995 American Journal of Public Health, that "... although awareness of the `five-a-day' recommendation was strongly associated with higher consumption, only 8 percent of the population was aware of the recommendation. Special efforts may be needed to increase intake among younger adults and those who are less educated."
Study respondents consumed a median of 3.5 servings of fruits or vegetables a day; women ate 3.7, and men ate 3.3 servings. Women were more likely to eat fruit, and men were most likely to eat vegetables other than green salad, carrots and potatoes. "Median fruit and vegetable intake increased with age and education..." the authors reported.
"Because diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with a lower risk for chronic diseases, the Year 2000 Objectives for the United States include increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables to five or more servings per day," the authors said.
"More effective means of educating the population and providing environmental and institutional support to encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables are needed if we are to achieve this year 2000 goal," they said.
Those who eat more fat exercise less
In one of the few studies examining the association between fat consumption and physical activity, researchers confirmed that the more saturated fat one consumes, the less likely one will be engaged in leisure-time physical activity.
"Among Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System participants, lower fat consumption was associated with increased leisure-time physical activity," said Coates, a nutritional epidemiologist at the School of Public Health. "This association was strong and independent of other demographic and behavioral risk factors (such as weight and smoking).
"Higher caloric intake, particularly ingestion of carbohydrates, has been observed with higher physical activity. However, lower fat intake with higher physical activity has not been previously reported. People who exercise need more calories than do those who are sedentary."
But people who are sedentary certainly do not need more calories, particularly calories from saturated dietary fat, Coates said.
"This study suggests a dual public health message: `Cutting fat calories and increasing physical activity should be done in tandem,'" he said.
-- Lorri Preston