BMJ  2003;326:1458 (28 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7404.1458-b

Letter

Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption

An apple a day may be the secret

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Steptoe et al described the use of behavioural interventions to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables in adults with low incomes.1 I am a doctor and an enthusiastic amateur (almost professional) apple grower. With my life partner I have planted and tend 1000 apple and plum trees and am wondering if I should give up medicine altogether to spend more time with my apple trees.

As well as apples, we grow trees and sell them at car boot sales that are attended by some of my patients. I can afford to sell trees at low prices. Growing food bearing trees hopefully helps put people back in touch with nature, perchance to improve their mental health and also hopefully improve their diet.

As I am losing my faith in the way we in the United Kingdom now choose to practise and organise medicine, and growing in my love . . . [Full text of this article]

Stephen F Hayes, hospital practitioner, dermatology

Botley, Hampshire SO30 2AA apples@botley.com


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Related Article

Behavioural counselling to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in low income adults: randomised trial
Andrew Steptoe, Linda Perkins-Porras, Catherine McKay, Elisabeth Rink, Sean Hilton, and Francesco P Cappuccio
BMJ 2003 326: 855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




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