WASHINGTON, D.C. — As many Americans set an eye on healthier eating in 2010, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data reveal mixed results on two key metrics in 2009 compared with 2008. While the percentage of Americans saying they ate healthy all day yesterday improved slightly in 2009 (to 66.4% from 65.9% in 2008), the percentage reporting eating five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables on at least four days in the previous week slipped to 55.6% last year from 56.4% in 2008.
Gallup and Healthways ask at least 1,000 Americans each day about their eating habits. Specifically, respondents are asked to report on whether they ate healthy all day yesterday and in the last seven days how many days did they “have five or more servings of fruits and vegetables.” Monthly aggregates typically consist of 28,000 to 30,000 interviews.
The second half of 2009 saw a significant improvement from 2008 in the percentage of Americans who reported eating healthy all day yesterday, ultimately resulting in a small but measurable net improvement for the metric in 2009. The reverse was true in 2008, when Americans reported healthier eating in the first half of the year before that number dropped off substantially in the fall and winter.
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