One in three adults in the UK and Ireland consume five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day. This seems to be a higher proportion than in any other nation in the developed world. Of course, the World Health Organization recommends eating at least 400g – or five or more portions – each day.
Figures published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development show the UK and Ireland jointly top a table of 33 countries comparing how many people report having five portions a day. In both countries, 33% of adults hit the target on a daily basis.
The next highest-ranking countries are Korea and Israel, where 32% say they consume five or more portions a day, followed by the Netherlands (30%). The figure is 20% in France, 15% in Portugal, and 11% in Germany. The OECD average is 15% – less than half the figure in the UK and Ireland.
About 26% of British adults are obese, which makes the UK, with Chile, the joint second-most obese nation among 35 countries. The US tops the list (34%). Korea fares best, with just 4% of its adults falling into the obese category.
Source: theguardian.com