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Four in five Australians not eating enough fruit and vegetables: research

Xinhua, April 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

Four in five Australians are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, according to the results of an Australian study published on Monday.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) commissioned a survey of 145,000 adults, finding that that just 15 percent of men and 24 percent of women were eating the recommended two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day.

Professor Manny Noakes, co-author of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet and CSIRO research director, said while Australians generally think of themselves as living a healthy lifestyle, many adults are simply not eating well enough.

"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," Noakes said in a statement on Monday.

"One simple way to boost your intake is to eat three different types of vegetables with your main evening meal.

"Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables we eat is one of the simplest ways Australians can improve their health and well-being 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."

Meanwhile John Lloyd, CEO of Horticulture Innovation Australia, said that a shift toward purchasing pre-packaged, unhealthy and ready-to-eat meals was having a negative effect on the health of Australians, and encouraged Aussies to buy more fresh fruit and vegetables where possible.

"For a country with an abundance of high-quality, locally-grown fruit and vegetables available all year round, it's disappointing so many Australians are missing out and not enjoying enough variety in their diets," Lloyd said in a statement.

"Australian growers are adapting to the consumer's need for convenience by bringing high-quality fresh produce from the farm to the table in ready-to-cook and eat packaging, making it easier for time-poor adults to add more nutritious fruit and vegetables into their diets." Endit