Go for '2 & 5' Needs Support

The ‘Go for 2 & 5’ campaign is a tremendous initiative which highlights the need for consumers to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.

The benefits for the fruit and vegetable industry achieving this level of consumption would be very substantial through optimising the market potential for fruit and vegetables.

For the Government and the health industry, the benefit would come through having a healthier society with massive health care savings.

The problem which exists for the advocates of a healthy diet is similar to that which exists in relation to superannuation. Many of us do not plan for the future and we certainly don’t plan to be unhealthy or sick.

The fact is that most of us do not realise the harm that an unhealthy diet is doing until the damage is done. Just as most of us will not realise the benefits of a healthy diet for a long time, possibly decades.

Education of our children is vital if we are to overcome the obesity crisis facing Australia and move towards a healthier future. The fact is that Australian adults are only eating an average of 2-3 servings of vegetables per day.

This is about half of the recommended daily intake for good health. In relation to fruit, the consumption level of 1-2 serves per day is also lower than the recommended average of two serves per day.

It is therefore appropriate for Governments to invest in the future well-being of Australians by continuing to promote the ‘Go for 2 & 5’ message. This program has highlighted the potential growth which exists for Australia’s fruit and vegetable industry if consumption levels are increased.

   Industry organisations such as Brismark and BML are promoting the ‘Go for 2 & 5’ message through their Queensland Kids Fresh Net Program which is currently running in over 700 primary schools throughout Queensland. Furthermore, industry based marketing initiatives such as the AUSVEG project titled ‘claiming center of the plate’ have a strong focus in growing vegetable consumption in Australia. The ‘Go for 2 & 5’ program is gaining momentum and support and deserves recognition for what it could achieve, particularly for the vegetable industry, if consumption levels are increased.