A Million Adults 'Never Eat Vegs' (UK)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1-15-2004 | Celia Hall

[blam]

A million adults 'never eat veg'

By Celia Hall, Medical Editor
(Filed: 15/01/2004)

Nearly a million adults never eat any fruit or green vegetables and more than 3.5 million eat them only once or twice a month, according to a survey published today.

Despite government campaigns to encourage people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a small percentage of the adult population resolutely refuses to do so. The poll among 1,000 adults for the charity, Cholesterol UK, found that while 90 per cent said they always or generally ate a healthy diet, 2.5 million ate chips or crisps daily, six million had take-aways once or twice a week and 500,000 had take-aways every day. The figures are based on an adult population of 40 million.

Heart UK and the Cardiac Patients Association have joined forces to create Cholesterol UK and campaign for a reduction in national blood cholesterol levels. The charity said the public was largely unaware of the dangers of raised cholesterol levels.

Dr John Reckless, a consultant endocrinologist and chairman of Heart UK, said the average cholesterol level in the UK was between five and six mmol/l but one in 40 adults had levels over eight.

In China where there are low rates of heart disease people's cholesterol levels are 3.5 on average. Dr Reckless said a level of less than five was desirable.

[Triple Word Score]

Chips aren't vegetables?

:-D

[thoughtomator]

How does one survive without fruit and vegetables? I get plenty of greens every day, and I've never adjusted my diet for either health or ideological reasons. (Well, other than boycotting French stuff, that is.)

[martin_fierro]

A million and one (raising hand).

[Eala]

How long does one survive without fruit and vegetables?

[humblegunner]

Well if someone could make the veggies taste like meat I'd think about it.

[Billthedrill]

Well, of course they are. So's the ketchup you dunk 'em in. Sheesh.

I think tobacco is technically a vegetable as well...

[brewcrew]

I wonder how high the number goes if you discount those who claim the lettuce on their Big Mac is a vegetable?

[muawiyah]

To live without a regular diet of veggies plucked from Mother Earth, you make sure to eat the contents of the stomach of your game.

[TheDon]

99.9% of all people who eat vegetables die.

[proxy_user]

This probably includes those who subsist solely on beer and pub snacks.

[Prodigal Son]

I love vegetables. Never could understand people not liking 'em.

[Live free or die]

[blam]

"I love vegetables. Never could understand people not liking 'em."

Yup. Me too,

[Triple Word Score]

My kids like vegetables better than I do. It cracks people up to hear them beg me to buy them the big bag of spinach.

They like to take pickled herring, or little squid in a can, and raw spinach to school for lunch, just to gross out their friends.

[Bob Mc]

There ought to be a law. >sarcasm off

[perfect stranger]

Ask the Eskimos. They seem to do just fine.

[perfect stranger]

"How long does one survive without fruit and vegetables?"

Do a search about the diet of Eskimos. You will find they can live a long time without.

[lawdude]

"99.9% of all people who eat vegetables die."

I feel safe in saying that 100% of those eating veggies will die. What do you know that I don't???

[brewcrew]

How long does one survive without fruit and vegetables?

When you eat meat, your food has already eaten the veggies for you. You get all the vitamins without all the chewing.That's why they call it a f-o-o-d c-h-a-i-n.