A new statewide polls finds 42 percent of Kentucky adults say they aren’t getting the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables.
The Kentucky Health Issues Poll also found that the availability of healthy food options remains a barrier for many low-income Kentuckians. Nearly one-quarter of low-income earning adults said they didn’t have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods.
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky President Ben Chandler said better eating would lead to better results for the commonwealth. “The first thing that comes immediately to mind is the impact that it would have on our high rate of diabetes here in Kentucky. We have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country, and that’s particularly affected by diet,” Chandler said.
Federal guidelines suggest half of the food we eat each day should be fruits and vegetables.
Chandler said the number of Kentuckians not getting the right amount of those foods is probably even higher than the study suggests. “The fact that four out of ten—a little bit north of four out of ten—self-report, would suggest that there’s probably a higher number of folks than that who are not getting enough fruits and vegetables.”
Another finding from the poll is about 60 percent of Kentucky adults who are in fair or poor health say the cost of healthy food is too high. You can see the results of the poll here.
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