The bar chart details the proportion of people who consumed five portions of fruit and vegetables very day in the UK between 2001 and 2008. Overall, the figures for each group – children, men and women, increased over the period in question, with women consistently exhibiting the highest percentages, followed by men and lastly, children.
Children and men showed rather lower figures throughout the period. In 2001, around 13% of children consumed five portions of fruit and vegetables, whereas men stood at about 17%. Both figures remained unchanged for the next two years, after which they started to rise considerably. By 2006, the figure for men had reached a high of approximately 27%, which did not change much until the end of the period. Children, on the other hand, saw a more significant increase between 2003 and 2007, doubling their initial figure to reach 26%. However, this peak was not maintained as there was a slight drop in the proportion of chidren eating prescribed portions of fruit and vegetables.
Women, by contrast, exhibited consistently higher percentages. Starting the period at roughly 23%, their figure rose noticeably to a peak of 35% by 2006. It was followed by a slight drop to 30% in 2008, finishing the period.