Promoting fruit and vegetables

Citation

(2001), "Promoting fruit and vegetables", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731bab.005

Promoting fruit and vegetables

Promoting fruit and vegetables

Eating fruit and vegetables is now widely recognised as the second most effective way of preventing cancer after reducing smoking. It is estimated that more than one third of all cancers are diet related and potentially preventable. The association between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduced risk of cancer is most marked for epithelial, digestive, respiratory and urinary cancers. Fruit and vegetables have also been shown to be very effective in preventing heart disease and respiratory illness such as asthma. Recently the government launched projects to improve access to fruit and vegetables as a part of the strategy to prevent these illnesses. The projects will cost around £1 million over three years and will cover nearly one million people in County Durham, Hastings, Somerset, Sandwell (West Midlands), Airedale and Craven in Yorkshire. The projects will promote the expert recommendation to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. The projects include promoting fruit and vegetables through a football coaching scheme at West Bromwich Albion; community cafes with food tastings; flyers in wage slips to employees; developing school food initiatives and setting up fruit and vegetable gardens and allotments. A new scheme to provide free fruit for schoolchildren was launched at the end of 2000.