5
A Day: A Historical Perspective
The 5 A Day for Better Health program is a national nutrition
education initiative, sponsored by the
Produce for Better Health Foundation, the National Cancer Institute (NCI),
and
an expanding base of other health-oriented non-profits,
government agencies, and businesses. The 5 A Day program's
mission is to increase consumption to an average of 5 or more servings
of fruits and vegetables a day. The Foundation's mission is
to be the catalyst for creating a healthier America
through increased consumption of a variety of fruits and
vegetables. The
Foundation is chair of the National 5 A Day Partnership,
consisting of government agencies, non-profit
organizations, and industry working in collaboration to
expand 5 A Day efforts to increase consumption of fruits
and vegetables for improved public health.
To increase the national average fruit and vegetable consumption
from the current 4.4 servings to 5 servings a day, the Foundation partners with organizations and
volunteers across the country to implement 5 A Day
programs in each state.
Research has shown that a diet low in fat, high in fiber,
and rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of
cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. More than 500,000
Americans die of cancer each year. However, one-third of
these cancer deaths could have been prevented by a diet
rich in fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Surgeon General's
Report on Nutrition and Health (1988) found that two-thirds
of all deaths are related to diet. The nation's leading
health organizations -- including the U.S. Surgeon General,
NCI, American Cancer
Society, and American Heart Association -- agree that Americans should
eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of developing
cancer, heart disease, and other diseases.
In 1988, with a grant from NCI, the State of California
Department of Health Services developed a program to educate
Californians on the need to eat 5 or more servings of fruits
and vegetables a day. As a result of the successful California
5 A Day program, health officials and members of the fruit
and vegetable industry decided to make 5 A Day a national
program. The Produce for Better Health Foundation was incorporated
as an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) consumer education
organization.
In 1991, at the Produce Marketing
Association Convention & Exposition in Boston, Massachusetts,
the national 5 A Day for Better Health program was launched.
The 5 A Day program became the first national health promotion
focusing on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables.
NCI agreed to serve as public sector sponsor of the national
program. As the world's leading authority on cancer research,
prevention, and control, NCI awarded grants to researchers
to determine the best strategies to change eating behavior.
NCI develops publications, programs, and media communications
to educate consumers about 5 A Day. Through NCI's network
of 5 A Day state coordinators, 5 A Day programs are implemented
at the local level.
The Foundation and NCI work together with more than 1,800
organizations across the nation to promote 5 A Day. These
partners include: the
Centers for Disease Control, the
American Cancer Society, the
American Heart Association, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the
American Dietetic Association (ADA), the National Alliance
for Nutrition and Activity, the
American School Food Service Association, and others.
The Foundation works closely with members of the fruit and
vegetable industry by offering programs, and by licensing
use of the 5 A Day logo. More than 35,000 retail stores
participate in 5 A Day. By applying the logo to products,
displays, and advertisements, members of the fruit and vegetable
industry educate consumers about the need to eat more fruits
and vegetables.
The Foundation also provides children's education programs,
employee worksite programs, and foodservice programs. Ten
companies receive
5 A Day National Excellence Awards for their efforts
to educate their employees and the community about eating
more fruits and vegetables. In addition, the Foundation
educates public health officials on the importance of placing
fruits and vegetables first in the nation's nutrition policies.
The Foundation's website provides a variety of fruit and
vegetable nutrition information as well as downloadable
text, graphics, photos, and recipes. The www.aboutproduce.com
website, a collaboration with the Produce Marketing
Association, serves as the go-to source
for consumers to learn about fruits and vegetables. The 5 A Day Catalog
offers educational items, promotional materials, publications,
and merchandise. Every year, the Foundation gives an
Excellence in Dietary Guidance award to an individual
whose extraordinary efforts have established policy and
programs to reach 5 A Day. September is National 5 A Day
Month focusing the country
on the need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Overall,
thousands of 5 A Day events, promotions, and seminars are
held each year in communities across the nation.
ADA awarded the Foundation with the President's Circle
Award in 1994. The prestigious annual award recognizes premier
nutrition education programs. In March of 2000, the Foundation
received special recognition on the Associations Advance
America Honor Roll as a result of a national awards competition
sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE), of Washington, DC. The Foundation received two national
awards for its
5 A Day Across the USA™ tour and publication of the
"Year Dietary Guidelines 2000: The Case for Fruits and Vegetables
First" research booklet.
The 5 A
Day Across the USA™ tour brought the 5 A Day message
to consumers through a series of special events in supermarkets,
corporations, schools, state capitols, and other venues
in cities nationwide. The "Year Dietary Guidelines 2000:
The Case for Fruits and Vegetables First" document provides
a comprehensive summary of the effect fruits and vegetables
have on diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke,
birth defects, osteoporosis, and other illnesses. The document
is an outgrowth of the Fruits and Vegetables First Symposium
and press conference held February 23, 1999 in Washington,
DC. The symposium, press conference, and research document
served as a catalyst in securing a separate guideline for
fruits and vegetables in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans released May 30, 2000. This research
document has been updated in 2002. Look to The Health
Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables: A Scientific Overview for
Health Professionals for updated nutrition research
information.
The 5 A Day program continues to be one of the nation's
leading nutrition education programs.
|