The 5 A Day for Better Health Program gives Americans a simple, positive message — eat 5 or more servings of  fruits and vegetables   every day for better health. The program is jointly sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit consumer education foundation representing the vegetable and fruit industry. The National Cancer Institute funds behavior change and communications research to determine strategies that are effective to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

Goal

To increase the average consumption of fruits and vegetables to 5 or more servings daily.

Objectives

To increase public awareness of the importance of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day for better health; and to provide consumers with specific information about how to include more servings of fruits and vegetables into daily eating patterns.

Background

Since its inception in late 1991, the 5 A Day for Better Health program has proven to be one of the nation's most widely recognized health promotion programs. As the largest national public-private nutrition education program ever launched, the 5 A Day program's strength is the combined effort of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a not-for-profit consumer education foundation, and their new partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Cancer Society (ACS), United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Dole Food Co, Inc., and the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA).

The program seeks to increase the number of fruits and vegetables Americans eat each day to five or more servings. Along with this main goal, the program works to inform Americans that eating fruits and vegetables can improve their health and may reduce the risk of cancer. Another objective is to show easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables to one's daily eating pattern.

Results of the program's efforts have, so far, been encouraging. The percentage of Americans who know they should eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day has increased nearly fivefold-from 8 to 36 percent–since the 5 A Day for Better Health program began in 1991. Even better is the fact that during the first three years of the program, the average adult's daily consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased significantly. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Continuing Surveys of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), shows that from 1989 to 1991, adults ate an average of 3.9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. In 1994 that number had increased to approximately 4.4 servings per day -only about a half a serving from the recommended minimum of five. As Americans continue to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, the National 5 A Day Partnership will continue in its efforts to encourage all Americans to build their intake to five to nine daily servings.

The 5 A Day audience targeted by the national media program is all adult Americans currently trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, but not yet eating the recommended minimum of five servings daily (i.e., generally eating two to three servings), or about 40 to 50 percent of the U.S. population. Through a broad spectrum of activities, the program builds awareness, encourages eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day, and offers easy, practical ways to reach that goal.

Also visit:
ADHD advice and information
Expert Pediatrician - child health and parenting advice
About Pediatrics - Expert Pediatric Parenting Advice
Father's First Year - read about Dr. Iannelli's new book