A report has been released as part of International Men’s Health Week, stating that only one in 20 men are eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables and two thirds of Australian men are classified as overweight or obese.

AUSVEG strongly supports the wakeup call being given to Aussie men to take a step back and look at what is lacking in their diet and ensure they are eating enough fresh vegetables.

AUSVEG is the national peak industry body representing the interests of over 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers.

The report launched by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that Aussie males aren’t getting the recommended five or more serves of vegetables per day.

“It is alarming to learn that so many men just aren’t eating the right amount of fresh vegetables and it is very likely that many don’t even realise their diet is lacking,” said AUSVEG Senior Communications Officer Courtney Burger.

Eating a balanced and healthy diet has been said to help protect against developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, as well as serious cancers such as that of the bowel, liver, lung and stomach.

“The report states that this problem is not only in adult males, but also in younger boys, with less than a quarter of boys aged five to 17 consuming the right amount of veggies. This is a telltale sign that dietary habits formed in younger years can lead into later life.

“We need to target all Australian males and give them the wakeup call that eating fresh produce doesn’t need to be hard and hopefully the popularity of cooking programs is showing people know how easy it is to make a delicious and healthy meal,” said Miss Burger.

An increase of fresh produce means less reliance on packaged and highly processed foods which from a nutritional sense can lead to a reduction in a person’s intake of sodium, saturated fat, sugar and carbohydrate. Ultimately, making you a healthier person.

“Fortunately we are now seeing a drop in the price of some vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin and lettuce and we hope this is an incentive to throw a few extra veggies into the shopping trolley,” said Miss Burger.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Courtney Burger – Senior Communications Officer, AUSVEG Phone: (03) 9822 0388, Mobile: 0439 784 890, Email: courtney.burger@ausveg.com.au