AUSTRALIANS are getting a fail on the fruit and vegetable front.
Despite a persistent message that eating our fruit and vegetables is the common denominator among the many avenues to wellbeing, weight management and good health, we don't want to hear it.
A new survey by the CSIRO of nearly 146,000 Australians has found that we're still falling well short of the recommended intake.
In fact, the survey – the largest of its kind conducted in Australia – found that four out of five of us are not meeting the guidelines of two portions of fruit and five portions of vegetables a day.
This is despite a "positive shift in interest" towards farmer's markets and healthier foods in general as well as takeaway outlets offering healthier options, says CSIRO research director, Professor Manny Noakes.
"We've still got a long way to go," she adds. "It's easy to forget about healthy eating and fruit and vegetable consumption amidst all the food avoidance issues - avoiding gluten, avoiding dairy, avoiding sugar - the really obvious things people can do to improve their health and wellbeing is not front of mind."
The results echo those of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from last year that found we tend to think we're healthier than we are.
About 85 per cent of Australians aged 15 and over rated their health as "good", "very good" or "excellent" in 2014-15.
Yet half of all Australians had at least one chronic disease, 19 per cent had a disability, and 20 per cent had had a mental health disorder in the past 12 months.
A total of 13 per cent said they smoked daily, 18 per cent drank alcohol at risky levels, and 95 per cent didn't eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.
"And while 55 per cent do enough physical activity, 63 per cent of us are overweight or obese," AIHW chief executive Barry Sandison said at the time.
In the new survey women fared slightly better, with 24 per cent meeting the guidelines for both fruit and vegetable consumption, compared with only 15 per cent of men surveyed.
"Many Aussies believe themselves to be healthy, yet this report shows the majority of those surveyed are not getting all the beneficial nutrients from fruit and vegetables needed for a healthy, balanced diet," said Noakes.
"One simple way to boost your intake is to eat three different types of vegetables with your main evening meal."
A recent survey by the Dietitians Association of Australia found that nearly half of us have tried to lose weight via a diet in the past year. The $635 million we spend on this attempt each year could be better spent stocking up on fresh food.
"Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables we eat is one of the simplest ways Australians can improve their health and wellbeing today, as well as combat the growing rates of obesity and lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a third of all cancers," Noakes said.
Increasing our fruit and vegetable intake is not just about avoiding disease, Noakes adds.
"There some interesting data that shows the flavonoids and polyphenols from fruit and vegetables can impact on brain bloodflow and also on cognition and mood so there are other reasons why fruit and vegetables can improve your wellbeing today and tomorrow not just in the far distant future."
The Sydney Morning Herald
