By Anthony Marcusa / Source: Ecorazzi

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Despite the urging scientific studies and the U.S. government, despite the prevalence of farmer’s markets and local, organic products, most U.S. adults are still not consuming enough fruits and vegetables.

A survey revealed that only 13% of adults eat the recommended amount of fruit each day, while only 9% obtain the necessary daily vegetables. The thresholds aren’t particularly high either it would seem: one and a half to two cups of fruit are recommended by the government each day, while the vegetable cutoff is set at two to three cups.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans were polled in this survey from 2013 conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California was the state ranked the best with regards to both fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, Tennessee comes in at the worst at eating fruit, with Mississippi the worst at consuming vegetables, and Oklahoma not far behind. In both cases, fewer than 6% of adults hit the mark.

“Eating more fruits and vegetables adds nutrients to diets, reduces the risk for heart disease, stroke, and some cancers, and helps manage body weight when consumed in place of more energy-dense foods,” begins the report, the entirety of which can be read here.

While the survey acknowledges potential limitations, that the numbers are so low across the entire country is distressing.

“Increased attention to food environments in multiple settings, including child care, schools, communities, and worksites, might help improve fruit and vegetable intake, and thus help prevent chronic disease,” concludes the release.

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