Did you know that fewer than 25 percent of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables? Everyone knows the benefits of a well balanced diet and the consequences of a poor one, so what if there were a simple way get people to eat more of the good-for-you stuff? As it turns out, there is.
Henry Ford Hospital researchers found that when given access to an online program about fruits and vegetables, participants increased their daily fruit and vegetable intake by more than two servings.
“People already know the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, but they often don’t know how to incorporate them into their diet,” says study senior author Christine Cole Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair of Henry Ford’s Department of Biostatistics and Research Epidemiology. “We were able to offer study participants practical and easy tips to increase their daily fruit and vegetable intake.”
Results are published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
The 12-month-long Henry Ford study recruited those ages 21 to 65. Study participants were placed in one of these three groups:
• A control online program that provided general information for the participants about improving their fruit and vegetable intake.
• A program that was similar but personalized to the individual’s needs
• A program that incorporated the other two components and was also supplemented with motivational interviewing counseling via e-mail.
The program was divided into four sessions. Each session included four to five pages of core content, illustrations and optional links to more detailed information and special features designed to supplement session content. For example, special features illustrated serving sizes and nutritional similarities of fresh versus frozen versus canned foods.
At the end of the study, researchers found the most significant changes were with the group that had motivational interviewing and counseling.
“We found that giving participants gentle reminders that refocused them on their goals greatly improved progress,” says study co-author, Gwen Alexander, PhD, assistant research scientist. “They were being held accountable for their progress, which became a key motivator.”
Up next: Drs. Johnson and Alexander are now working on creating a similar study focused on people ages 21 to 30, to find new strategies to help them incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet, while catering to their lifestyle.
Funding: National Cancer Institute
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So… how can people try out the program?
Currently it is a medical study.
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