The US National Cancer Institute is launching a publicity campaign to boost men's fruit and vegetable consumption to nine servings a day. Although past campaigns have touted the need for five servings a day, health experts now say five is just the bare minimum.
Although men are the focus of the new campaign, health officials note that women should increase their consumption to seven servings a day and children should eat at least five. The institute, which for more than a decade has spearheaded the “Eat 5 a Day” publicity campaign, has changed its logo to the more accurate but cumbersome “Eat 5 to 9 a Day.”
According to the institute, based in Bethesda, Maryland, only 23% of adults eat at least five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. Only 4% of men consume nine. More than a third of the population eats only one or two servings, and 4% eat less than that.