September 2006
NHM Health Focus: Eat 5 to 9 A
Day
Fruits and vegetables--from apples, artichokes and asparagus, to watermelon, yams, and zucchini--contain nutrients essential to good health. But the message hasn’t gotten through to everyone.
Only a few years ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the percentage of adults who reported not eating recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables still ranged from 63% in Arizona to 84% in Louisiana (CDC).
The National 5 to 9 A Day for Better Health initiative brings together public and private organizations with the common goal of increasing the number of people who eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetable each day. 5 to 9 A Day is a joint venture of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), federal, state and local government agencies, fruit and vegetable producers, and retailers. It has helped create a collection of materials specifically addressing the differing needs of men and women.
These resources compliment each other and, along with those developed by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, provide a unified message educating consumers with regard to the advantages of eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
But a serving may mean different things to different people, so Serving Size Surprise is an online game that challenges you to select the quantity that equals a serving size. For more information on serving size and the way this term is used on labels and on the food pyramid, see the NHM Question of the Week: Serving Size.
Additional Internet resources for teaching concepts related to the 5 to 9 A Day initiative include:
Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum has these resources related to the 5 A Day initiative:
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