Boosting Fruit and Veggie Eating: A Worldwide Challenge

Eating enough fruits and vegetables is a big deal for staying healthy. But guess what? Most people around the world aren't eating enough of them. So, what can be done to change this? Let's dive in. First, let's talk about what's been tried. A lot of different strategies have been tested to get people to eat more fruits and veggies. Some of these strategies focus just on fruits and vegetables. Others are part of bigger plans to improve overall diet, health, or even the food environment. Most of these tests happened in wealthier countries. And about half of them showed good results, making people eat more fruits and veggies. Now, what kinds of strategies work best? It seems that using more than one approach at a time gives better results. Also, focusing just on fruits and veggies helps more than mixing them with other foods. But there's still a lot we don't know, especially in lower-income countries. Let's look at four specific countries: Benin, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. In these places, people aren't eating enough fruits and veggies. But there aren't many tests or studies to show what might help. This is a big problem. We need more research to figure out the best ways to get people to eat more fruits and veggies. Right now, we don't have enough good information. We need to know more about who to target, when to start, how often to do it, and how long it should last. Only then can we make a real difference in how much fruits and veggies people eat. So, what's the bottom line? We need to do more. We need more tests, more research, and more good information. Only then can we help people around the world eat healthier.