People in the UK still eat too much fat, salt and sugar, failing to meet the five-per-day recommended fruit and vegetable servings from health experts.
According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the average Briton exceeds the suggested daily limits for the aforementioned food groups but not eating enough vegetables, oily fish, fiber and fruits. However, the report notes that the tests show evidence of subjects under-reporting and not revealing accurate details about all they have eaten.
Based on the Public Health England's research that studied 1,000 people in four years, only three in 10 adults were meeting the recommended five-per-day vegetable and fruit portions. The UK guidance recommends that sugar should not go beyond 11 percent of a person's total calorie intake but for children from four to 10 years old, sugar intake is at 14.7 percent. For teens aged 11 to 18, sugar intake rises to 15.6 percent. Fruit juice and sugary sodas account for one third of their sugar intake. Only 10 percent of boys and seven percent of girls take the recommended portions.
Adults from 19 to 64 years old eat an average of 4.1 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. People 65 years and above eat 4.6 portions. Girls and boys from 11 to 18 years old eat 2.7 and 3.0 portions a day, respectively. While majority of vitamins are taken adequately, Vitamin D which is important for healthy bones and teeth, is not.
"The data released today provides compelling evidence that we all need to make changes to our diet to improve our health, especially for teenagers," chief nutritionist Dr. Alison Tedstone from Public Health England said. "The findings, from the four years covered by the survey, confirm that eating habits do not change quickly."
Diet surveys may not be completely accurate as many participants forget what they eat on a daily basis or simply tailor the answers. For instance, women said their average daily intake is 1,613 while men said they eat an average of 2,111 calories per day. This suggests that the participants eat less than what they need.
The recommended balanced diet which is high in vegetables, fiber and fruit and low in sugar, saturated fat and salt with an active lifestyle will help one achieve a healthy weight, lowering the risk of heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
