SCIENTIFIC evidence shows that consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can prolong life and reduce the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer.Yet not enough people across the world are consuming adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables. In low-and middle-income countries, more than 75% of adults consume less than the minimum recommendation. In Tanzania more than 95% of people consume less than the minimum requirement.In the slums of Nairobi, our research shows that less than half of the adult population are meeting their daily fruit or vegetable requirements. Instead, as global fast-food outlets flood the Kenyan market, they prefer junk food, which they see as a status symbol.This could be why there are high levels of hypertension and diabetes in these slums, where one in every five people has one of the two conditions. In addition, we found that fewer than a quarter of those who had diabetes were aware of their condition. And ...
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