Dr Krueger and his team of researchers completed a careful analysis of fruit and vegetable consumption patterns of Canadians between 2000 and 2013 and estimated the economic burden associated with low consumption. This was published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Krueger H, Koot JM, Andres E. 2017. Canadian Journal of Public Health. Vol 108, No 2.
The purposes of this study were to:
Your mother was right. Eating vegetables is good for you.
Evidence indicating a protective effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on coronary heart and cerebrovascular disease was both consistent and compelling. The evidence for cancers was less clear.
Over three quarters of Canadians were not meeting Canada's Food Guide recommendations regarding the number of daily servings of fruits and vegetables. In order to determine the economic burden of this dietary neglect, both direct costs of illness and indirect costs associated with illness were assessed. For example, direct cots included hospital care, physician services, other health care professionals, drugs and so on. Indirect costs included short-term disability, long-term disability and premature mortality.
The annual economic burden was $4.39 billion in 2013.
The economic benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption would total $8.4 billion over a 23 year period if Canadians improved their diets by just 1%.
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