Dietary Survey Serves Up a Shocker : Nutrition: Poll finds that two-thirds of Californians consume too few fruits and vegetables. Many are unaware of the link between diet and cancer.

Despite a health-conscious image, Californians generally consume far too few fruits and vegetables and fail to recognize the connection between diet and the risk of cancer, a new state survey reveals.

In the first statewide survey of dietary practices, two out of three Californians said they eat fewer than the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Perhaps more significant, four in 10 Californians do not believe that what they eat affects their risk of getting cancer, said state health Director Kenneth W. Kizer, whose office conducted the survey.

“We are all aware that mother tells us to eat our vegetables,” Kizer said. “But we’re talking about something truly serious. There has certainly emerged very convincing scientific evidence that eating more fruits and vegetables substantially reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other diseases.”

Orange juice and green salad are the most popular produce selections among Californians, Kizer said. But 20% of those polled said they eat no fruit and 27% eat no vegetables or salad. Six of 10 Californians cannot name a food that might reduce the risk of cancer, the survey showed.

“That’s something that really needs to change,” Kizer said. “They are eating too many Fruit Loops and not enough fruit salad.”

Several health organizations, including the California Department of Health Services and the American Cancer Society, recommend five or more servings of fruits or vegetables a day to reduce the risk of cancer and promote good health.

According to the National Cancer Institute, 35% of all cancer deaths in the nation are related to diet. An estimated 20% of all heart disease is thought to be related to diet. Typically, the American diet is too high in fat and calories and too low in fiber, fruits and vegetables.

While scientific evidence is not completely clear on how diet influences cancer risk, studies suggest that fruits and vegetables are beneficial because they are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber and low in fat and calories, Kizer said.

Studies have shown that Vitamin A, found in dark-green, leafy vegetables and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, and Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, strawberries and dark-green, leafy vegetables, might be protective against certain types of cancers. Fiber is thought to be important, in part, because it reduces the transit time of food in the bowels.

But too few Californians recognize these relationships, Kizer said.

The survey showed that people with college degrees tend to eat more produce than people with high school degrees. Consumption differed little between men and women. Some ethnic differences emerged, with Latinos being more likely to consume fruits and fruit juice while Anglos are more likely to eat vegetables and salad. Health experts recommend a balanced diet containing both fruits and vegetables.

Traditions and habits are the primary reasons Americans do not eat more fruits and vegetables, Kizer said.

“It’s a cultural thing,” he said. “We, in America, just haven’t focused on it.”

Cost was not cited as a major problem in dissuading consumers from fruits and vegetables. Kizer said he does not know how many consumers might fear pesticide residues on produce, but that should not be a reason to avoid produce.

“The fear of pesticide residue is so dwarfed by the fact that we don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables that (the concerns) aren’t even in the same league,” he said. Pesticide residue “is not an issue the average consumer needs to worry about.”

The telephone survey of 1,000 residents was funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute and conducted in 1989. It was a follow-up to the state’s 1988 educational campaign to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, called “5 a Day--for Better Health.” The campaign is continuing as a cooperative effort between the state and private industry, including major supermarket chains, to promote consumption of produce.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Many Californians eat no fruits or vegetables on any given day. Percent not eating: Fruits or vegetables-- 20% Vegetables or salads-- under 30% Any fruits or vegetables-- under 10% Source: 1989 California Dietary Practices Survey.