Simple food messages

Citation

(2011), "Simple food messages", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 41 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2011.01741eaa.015

Simple food messages

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 41, Issue 5

Research indicates that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables would save 15,000 premature deaths on its own according to Will Williams, Nutrition and Fitness Advisor for All About Weight.

Eating five-a-day would save 7,000 early deaths from coronary heart disease, 5,000 from cancer and 3,000 unnecessary strokes, said Mr Williams. The research from Oxford University was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Increasing fibre intake in our diet would save 4,000 lives, reducing fat another 7,000 and overeating salt costs us 7,500 early deaths. These are simple health messages that we all know but too many people are ignoring them and the worrying indications are that less and less people are obeying them.

The Oxford research compared deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke and cancers with statistics for nutrient intake between 2005 and 2007.

It is recommended that each individual consumes 400g of fruit and vegetables and 18g of fibre every day.” None of the UK countries manages to reach these levels with Scotland and Northern Ireland lagging behind England and Wales. Research earlier this year suggests that Britons are actually eating less fruit and vegetables each day with only one third of us attaining the five-a-day target.