Fruit and vegetable consumption among adults--United States, 2005

Abstract

A diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for chronic diseases. In addition, because fruits and vegetables have low energy density (i.e., few calories relative to volume), eating them as part of a reduced-calorie diet can be beneficial for weight management. Healthy People 2010 health objectives include increasing to 75% the percentage of persons aged >/=2 years who eat at least two daily servings of fruit (objective 19-5) and increasing to 50% the proportion of persons aged >/=2 years who eat at least three daily servings of vegetables, with at least one third being dark green or orange vegetables (objective 19-6). To assess the level of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults by state and demographic characteristics, data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that 32.6% of adults consumed fruit two or more times per day and 27.2% ate vegetables three or more times per day. The results underscore the need for continued interventions that encourage greater fruit and vegetable consumption among U.S. adults.