MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 26 U.S. teens in middle adolescence are eating about one serving less of fruits and vegetables than in 1999, a study finds.Fruit and vegetable intake is important for the prevention of future chronic disease, said lead investigator and registered dietitian Nicole Larson of the University of Minnesota. So it's important to know whether intakes of teens are approaching national objectives for fruit and vegetable consumption.The researchers gathered information about fruit and vegetable intake among 944 boys and 1,161 girls in 1999 and again in 2004.From middle school or junior high to high school, teens decreased their intake of fruits and vegetables by almost one serving per day, from roughly four servings to three servings for girls and roughly two and a half to fewer than two servings for boys. The study, published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that from high school to early adulthood, the teens decreased their consumption by almost the same amount.There's little research investigating exactly why adolescents might be choosing to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, but educating teens about healthy food choices is not enough, according to Larson.Copyright 2007 by UPI
