Poor haven

Most have poor nutrition
NUTRITION: Experts recommend further measures for a varied diet of vegetables and fruits.
10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, September 27, 2007
By GABRIELA GONZALEZ
La PrensaAmericans are consuming high calorie fatty foods that have excess sodium, sugars and lack of nutrients of fiber and calcium, confirmed a health study.
The study entitled "The state of the Americandiet," published by Rutgers University in New Jersey, shows that Americans have a poor diet.
Two out of three people in the country do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to theaforementioned study. Likewise, Americans consume 77 percent of recommended daily nutritional value.
Although the study did not take into account specific ethnic groups, the nutritionist Claudia Gonzalezsaid the Latino community and the Anglo-Saxon have diets with positive and negative elements.
In the Latino community, nutrition, high levels of fat has become a national problem, with approximately2.5 million Hispanics age 20 or older have diabetes or are at risk of having it, according to the American Diabetes Association.
"Especially in America, with obesity and we are finding that they arehaving high blood pressure and low self-esteem," said Alma Salazar, a pediatrician at Riverside.
Latinos consume enough grains, vegetables and much of the food is prepared at home but not frequentthe various dishes with vegetables, since a healthy dish is to have at least half of vegetables, Gonzalez said.
While the Anglo-Saxons, the salads are essential in their diet but also are deprivedof nutritious grains and other legumes said González.
The lack of nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E and low levels of protein and iron and fiber may create a deficiency of these substances inpeople, especially children, Salazar said.
If children do not eat well, apart from obesity are prone to diseases such as rashes, heart problems and low self-esteem.
Only a third of the population...