An apple a day keeps the financial woes at bay, according to a new report published this week by an influential US organisation.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a non-profit science advocacy group, claimed that finding innovative ways to help Americans increase their consumption of fruit and vegetables would 'greatly benefit' not only their health but the country's economy.
Specifically, the group found that more than 127,000 deaths per year attributed to cardiovascular diseases could be prevented if US citizens ate the required amount of fresh produce, resulting in a saving of US$17bn on annual national medical costs.
By estimating how much people would be willing to invest in measures to fight such diseases, it also estimated the value of lives saved in boosting fruit and vegetable consumption would exceed US$11tn.
'Even modest changes in diet could result in big payoffs,' the report stated. 'The present value of lives saved from boosting average daily consumption of fruits and vegetables by just one additional portion, or one half-cup, per day would be more than US$2.7tn.'
The group also called for a change at political level to promote consumption of fresh produce. 'Americans simply aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables,' it said. 'It would follow that our country's farm policy should encourage the production and consumption of these healthful foods, but unfortunately farm policy does the reverse.'
Click here to read the full report
