RESEARCHERS ID WHY MEN EAT LESS VEGETABLES

A new study published in the journal Appetite reveals men don’t believe as strongly as women that fruit and vegetable consumption is an important part of maintaining health, and men feel less confident in their ability to eat healthy foods, especially when they are at work or in front of the television.

Kent State University researchers investigated whether the “Theory of Planned Behavior" (TPB) could explain why men are much less likely than women to meet the daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. TPB looks at the link between people’s beliefs and behaviors. Using data from more than 3,000 people who participated in the National Cancer Institute’s Food Attitudes and Behavior survey, the team examined three beliefs that should motivate people to eat nutritious food—their attitudes toward fruit and vegetables, their feeling of control over their diet, and their awareness that other people want them to improve their diet.

Results revealed women had more favorable attitudes toward eating fruits and vegetables. For example, women said they would look better and live a longer life if they ate more fruits and vegetables daily. They also found women reported greater confidence in their abilities to eat fruits or vegetables as a snack even when they were tired, extremely hungry or around family or friends who were eating snack foods.

The researchers concluded interventions that aim to increase fruit and vegetable intake among adult males may do well to promote favorable attitudes toward fruits and vegetables and enhance men’s perceptions of control over increasing intake.