Teenagers are infrequent consumers of fruits and vegetables, a
new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
indicates. The study, published on Nov. 25, estimates that in
2010 the median number of times per day that high school
students consumed fruits and vegetables was 1.2 for both. “The
infrequent fruit and vegetable consumption by high school
students highlights the need for effective strategies to
increase consumption,” the study said. The study showed that
28.5% of high school students consumed fruit less than one time
daily, while 33% consumed vegetables less than one time daily.
The research found only 16.8% consumed fruit more than four
times daily, and just 11.2% of students consumed vegetables more
than four times daily. The CDC found daily fruit consumption was
higher among male (1.4) than female (1.2) students. What’s more,
consumption deteriorated among older students. Median
consumption was 1.2 times daily for the 10th and 12th grades,
but 1.4 times daily for 9th grade students.