Doctor, did you eat your fruits and veggies today?
Two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each and every day?
If you did not, how can you expect your patients, for whom you are supposed to set an example, to do so?
The Healthy People 2010 program of the Department of Health and Human Services set as a goal that 75% of Americans would consume two or more servings a day of fruit and 50% would consume three or more servings of vegetables a day by 2010.
CDC just reported in the MMWR that no state came close to meeting these goals in 2009; that the national averages for fruit and veggies were 33 and 26%, respectively, neither number any improvement since 2000.
Flat out failure.
Maybe the goals were set too high. The good news is that while fresh and raw is great, you may eat your fruits and veggies fresh raw, fresh cooked, frozen, canned, or dried.
It all works. But, if you get into canned goods much, try to stay away from those with large amounts of added sugar and salt.
I have been so proud of my medical colleague professionals in how we, once the data were clear, demonstrated our ability to stop using tobacco products in any form.
We showed patients it could be done, even though nicotine causes one of the tightest addictions. We whupped it. Fewer than 5% of U.S. physicians now use tobacco.
Now it is time for all of us in medicine, and the other health professions as well, to become examples for our patients by leading the fight to defeat obesity.
Preventing obesity is every bit as important to the health of the public as was stopping tobacco smoking.
Do it yourself; and tell all your patients, every time you see them, to follow your example for themselves and for their families.
Fruits and veggies for everyone.
You can make a difference.
Oh! By the way, have you tried quinoa? It’s really good.
George Lundberg is a MedPage Today Editor-at-Large and former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Originally published in MedPage Today. Visit MedPageToday.com for more primary care news.
