The bar chart shows the percentage of men, women and children in the UK who consumed five portions of fruit and vegetables per day over an eight-year period from 2001 to 2008.
Overall, women consistently recorded the highest levels of consumption throughout the period, while men followed a similar but lower trend. Children, by contrast, had the lowest proportion of people meeting the recommended intake in all years shown.
Initially, in 2001, the proportion of women who consumed five portions of fruit and vegetables per day stood at around 20%. This figure rose steadily until 2006, when it reached a peak of approximately 30%, before declining slightly to about 28% by the end of the period. By comparison, consumption among men began at roughly 17% in 2001 and remained stable for the first three years. From 2004 onwards, the figure increased gradually, reaching around 27%, before falling slightly again by 2008.
Children showed a similar upward trend, though at a much lower level. In 2001, only about 10% of children consumed the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables. This proportion increased steadily over the following years, peaking at approximately 25% in 2007, before declining slightly to around 23% in 2008.