Consumption. Women, graduates... Who really eats five fruits and vegetables a day?

It's a slogan everyone knows, but it's still rarely followed. Eating "at least five fruits and vegetables a day" is only a reality for 19% of men and 25% of women aged 18 to 85 in mainland France, according to a study* by Santé Publique France based on 2021 data on Tuesday.

Yet this is a recommendation that has been written into the National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS) for over 20 years... "Insufficient fruit and vegetable intake is thought to cause 14% of mortality from gastrointestinal cancers, 11% of mortality from ischemic diseases and 9% from cardiovascular accidents," observes Santé Publique France.

According to the barometer results, consuming at least five fruits and vegetables per day is associated with being a woman, having a degree level equal to or higher than the baccalaureate, and holding an intermediate or senior intellectual profession. Thus, 25.9% of managers and senior intellectual professions report meeting the PNNS recommendations regarding fruit and vegetable consumption, while this is the case for only 17.2% of workers. Two out of three men (65.4%) describe themselves as "small consumers of fruits and vegetables" (which corresponds to less than 3.5 per day), while this is only the case for 57.1% of women.

The consumption of at least five fruits and vegetables per day also increases with age. Thirty percent of 65- to 74-year-olds and 75- to 84-year-olds report achieving the goal of five fruits and vegetables per day, while this goal is only achieved by 20% of 25- to 34-year-olds and 17% of 18- to 24-year-olds.

The study also reveals regional disparities. Among men, the highest proportions of heavy fruit and vegetable consumers are found in Guadeloupe (26.4%), Martinique (22.9%), and Centre-Val de Loire. Among women, the highest proportions are found in Guadeloupe (32.1%), as well as in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (29.8%) and Île-de-France (28.5%).

Conversely, "significantly higher percentages of light consumers than those in mainland France were observed in the Grand Est and Normandy regions, among both men and women," notes Santé Publique France.

*The study was conducted from February 11 to December 15, 2021, among 24,514 people aged 18 to 85 in mainland France and from April 7 to October 12, 2021 in the French overseas departments and territories.