Tasmanians told to eat more apples, other fruit and vegetables
Tasmanian Health Minister Lara Giddings said new figures on the Tasmanian diet from the recent National Health Survey showed that too many Tasmanians were risking their health due to poor eating habits.
According to the survey, only 20% of Tasmanians – eat enough vegetables each day, and only just over half – 53% – eat enough fruit each day. Australian Dietary Guidelines recommended that adults eat at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.
A lifetime habit of eating vegetables and fruit not only keeps people healthy day-to-day, but it can also help in the longer-term too, protecting against chronic disease- helping to prevent overweight and obesity, and helping reduce blood pressure and blood cholesterol, as well as improving control of diabetes.
It can also help ward off heart disease and some forms of cancer- with up to 30% of all cancers are preventable by a diet high in vegetables and fruit.
Data from the Menzies Research Institute showed that in Tasmania the risk of developing cancer by age 75 is one in three for males, and one in four for females.
