Food prices have risen sharply – so much so that one in three people say they now buy less fruit and vegetables. You also buy less meat and fish. – There is a risk that health will be negatively affected in the long term, says Karin Fritz, adviser at the Swedish Food Agency. Just over one in three say they buy less fruit this year compared to 2022, something that risks worsening public health in the long term, as fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer, among other things. Four out of ten answer that they buy less fresh vegetables – regardless of income level – but people with a lower income level answer to a greater extent that they opt out of the fresh vegetables. – So-called lifestyle diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases can increase in the long term if eating habits deteriorate. Therefore, at the Swedish Food Agency, we need to monitor how both food prices and other factors affect the way we eat and whether there may be a risk of health being negatively affected in different income groups, says Karin Fritz. Consumers also buy less meat, chicken and fish compared to the same period last year. The survey was conducted by the Swedish Food Agency in early 2023, and just over a thousand people aged 18-84 responded to the survey.
t4-general
The Swedes opt out of fruit and vegetables – can worsen public health
