When Will People Get the Memo That They Should Be Eating Fruits and Veggies?
We have been getting told for decades that including more fruits and vegetables in our diets is the way to live a healthier life. And what have a lot of us done? Nothing!
We just kept scarfing away at our processed sugary snacks and TV dinners while our weight went up and we became obese and developed diabetes. This is not to say that everyone has just turned a blind eye to what science has been saying.
But, if you look at the trends in many Western countries, you will see that this is the case. Obesity rates are still going up and it seems that no matter how much attention is given to the issue, people will not listen.
Why Do People Have Trouble Eating Healthy?
One factor that most likely contributes to this problem is money. It tends to cost people more to eat healthier. When you shop around at the supermarket, fruits and vegetables are usually more expensive than cheap snacks and pre-packaged microwavable meals.
This is why many lower income people tend to be overweight than those who are middle class and higher. This makes the problem quite hard to solve because no amount of awareness is going to suddenly bring the price of these foods down. In fact, increased demand due to increased awareness would most likely bring the prices up.
That said, some people may argue that eating healthy does not cost all that much more as long as you know what to buy and how to cook it. And I can definitely see the viability in that argument as well. I see plenty of fruit and vegetable-based products that are affordable.
The problem is that they are obviously not very palatable in their purchasable form and have to be cooked. Take a stir fry for instance. It seems like people would rather buy cheaper food that is already pre-made for them instead of expending the time and energy to cook a healthy meal. This is perhaps a good area for the awareness campaigns to start.
Now that we have identified the causes and possible solutions, I feel that I should explain why this is so urgent.
Why Should People Eat More Plant-based Foods Like Fruits and Vegetables?
We all know there is an obesity epidemic sweeping through the Western countries. This is due to people having bad diets full of unhealthy foods. In a paper that a doctor by the name of Keith Randolph wrote (which got published by the United Nations), he describes ways to change this.
He explains the science behind replacing our current poor diets with diets rich with fruits and vegetables. He cites a study that shows a direct link between fruit and veggie-rich diets and living a longer healthier life. He alleges that this switch does not have to break the bank and can actually be a “low-cost, low risk way” to boost our health.
This may run contrary to the point I made above about the cost of eating healthy, however it does align with my second point about it may be more to do with laziness than cost. I have been to plenty of supermarkets and the prices of fruits and vegetables tend to be up there when they are not in season.
However, when you compare the prices of fruits and vegetables to other kinds of “healthy” foods, you will find that they are on the cheaper end.
According to Randolph, plant-based foods are not just good for keeping our weight down. He writes in the paper how plants are made up of all kinds of substances known as phytonutrients that can provide anti-microbial benefits to the plant and can provide the same benefit when consumed by humans.
Additionally, he cites research that these substances can even help the body stave off the effects of old age, while also boosting overall health.
Dr. Randolph concludes in his paper that more needs to be done to bring awareness to the health benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables. As it stands right now, the populations of most countries do not consume anywhere near the suggested daily serving of fruits and veggies (at least five servings) set by the World Health Organization.
This includes both developed countries like the US and various European nations, as well as underdeveloped countries. Although, underdeveloped countries have more of an excuse due to politically instability, more poverty, and less access to resources like fruits and vegetables. Western countries really have no excuse for letting this epidemic go on and should take steps to get their populations to start eating healthier.
Randolph suggests crafting culture-specific messages to get this across. This will help not only developed countries, but also undeveloped ones. If you can fit healthy eating practices into cultural norms, it will go a long way in promoting a healthy lifestyle for all different groups of people.
Wrapping Things Up On Amway Expert's Plant Food Consumption Paper For United Nations
Dr. Randolph’s paper that the United Nations published did not reveal any information that was not already widely known. Doctors and scientists have been telling us for years about the benefits of subscribing to fruit and vegetable-rich diets.
This paper is significant in the fact that it got published by the United Nations. This indicates that the issue is being taken more seriously and hopefully the United Nations will start trying to figure out ways to curb this epidemic before it comes an even more serious health crisis.
I believe that the idea that Dr. Randolph pitched about promoting eating fruits and vegetables in cultural-specific ways is a great way to start because then everyone can find a way to eat healthy and not have their cultural norms get in the way of it.
No matter what, more definitely needs to be done to address this issue and it is certainly promising that large international agencies like the United Nations appear to finally be taking the steps to do that.
