CDC Report Finds Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Rises With Income

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reaffirmed that adults in the United States are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables as their household income rises, according to the agency's data brief.

The report highlights what it describes as a long-standing divide between low- and middle-income Americans in access to and consumption of fresh produce, a disparity the CDC says dates back decades, according to the data brief.

The findings come amid broader changes to federal food policy. Republican-led cuts to food assistance programs, commonly known as "food stamps," have caused enrollment in such programs to decline sharply, according to the report's context as described in the CDC brief.

Separately, revisions to US dietary guidelines under Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr have also drawn attention to the cost of eating according to government recommendations. A new "food pyramid" released in January placed greater emphasis on animal protein and fresh fruits and vegetables, categories of food that studies have found to be more expensive than some alternatives, according to the report.

The CDC data brief did not immediately propose policy remedies but underscored the correlation between income level and dietary patterns among US adults, according to the report.

This article is based on reporting from The Guardian.