Healthy Lifestyles

Jump to another page... Introduction Leisure Time Physical Activity Healthy Body weight Fruit Consumption Vegetable Consumption Use of Food Labels Smoking Use of Safety Belts Use of Child Safety Seats Health Insurance Coverage Routine Annual Medical Checkups Regular Dental Checkups Health Status Direct Care Physicians to Population Ratio Primary Care Physician to Population Ratio General Practice Dentists to Population Ratio

Fruits And Vegetables—Fruit Consumption

Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables contribute to a healthy lifestyle. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people eat two or more

servings of fruit a day. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) asks respondents how many times a day they eat fruit, but not the serving size. The Healthy People 2010 goal is that 75 percent of the population will consume two or more servings of fruit each day. In the period 2004-2005, only 14 percent of Texans reported that they consume two servings of fruit a day. In Bexar County, 16 percent reported that they meet this standard. This is down from 20 percent in 2002. The downward trend appears to have occurred across the state. It is possible that recent public attention to diets such as the “Atkins,” “South Beach,” and other widely discussed diets have had an impact on fruit consumption.

The size of the BRFSS sample is sufficient to produce reliable estimates of the percent of persons who consume fruits two or more times a day in the West sector in the south of Bexar County. An average of 15 percent of residents in the southern sectors report eating fruit two or more times a day.ß In the north of Bexar County an average of 18 percent indicates they eat fruits two or more times a day. In the North Central sector, 23 percent report meeting the standard, but only 14 percent of those in the Northeast sector report eating fruits two or more times a day.

Fruits And Vegetables—Vegetable Consumption

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases.¹³ The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. The BRFSS asks respondents how many times a day they eat vegetables, but not the serving size. The Healthy People 2010 goal is that 50 percent of the population will consume three or more serving of vegetables each day. In the period 2004–2005, only 28 percent of Texans reported that they consume three servings of vegetables a day. In Bexar County, 27 percent reported they meet this standard. There appears to be little change in the percentage that report eating three or more vegetables a day across the state.

The size of the BRFSS sample is not large enough to produce reliable estimates of the percent of persons living in some of the sectors in the south of Bexar County who consume vegetables three or more times a day, except for the West sector. An average of 22 percent of residents of the southern sectors report eating vegetables three or more times a day. Thirty-six percent of residents in the West sector report eating vegetables three or more times a day. In the sectors in the north of Bexar County an average of 31 percent indicates they eat vegetables three or more times a day. Only 22 percent of those in the Northwest sector report eating vegetables three or more times a day. In the North Central sector, 50 percent of residents report that they consume enough vegetables to meet the Healthy People 2010 goal.

Use of food labels

Using the information provided on the packaging of food to help determine whether it fits dietary requirements and restrictions is a good way to control the amount of fat,

calories, sodium, and other nutrients consumed, and thereby maintain a healthy lifestyle. Information about use of food labels was not collected in the 2000 BRFSS. In Bexar County, about 69 percent of respondents indicated they use food labels to help determine what they eat. There has been no change since 1998 in the percentage of Bexar County residents who use food labels. There is not much variation across the county. Seventy-four percent of residents in the North Central sector indicated that they use food labels, whereas in the South, 63 percent indicated they use food labels in selecting what they eat. More education about the importance of knowing the content of foods and how to use food labels could be a helpful component in improving health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.