Eating 5 A DAY is an “excellent” initiative but some families find buying the necessary amount too expensive, a leading doctor has said.
Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the royal college of GPs, was speaking in response to comments reported in the media this weekend.
She reportedly told the Observer that fruit and vegetables should be reduced in price to encourage greater uptake, and the 5 A DAY scheme should be revised.
But in a statement released yesterday (21 November), she said: 'Five a Day is an excellent initiative; we want our patients to be healthier, and we want them to eat far more fruit and veg.
“We should certainly be aiming for this – and more – but the fact is that it remains an aspiration for many patients and as GPs we sometimes need to tailor our advice to the patient in front of us, based on their individual circumstances.”
Stokes-Lampard said it’s not easy or affordable for many patients to eat five items of fruit or veg a day, especially when faced with the temptation of cheaper unhealthy snacks.
'We are absolutely not advocating unhealthy diets or for our patients to lead unhealthy lifestyles, but the message needs to be realistic for the patient in front of us,” she said. 'We need to make eating healthier easier and more affordable - and as a society we need to do more to encourage our patients to lead more active lifestyles.”
