健康英语新闻:Brazilians consume too much salt, sugar and calories: study

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazilians are eating a lot of rice and beans as well as high-calorie junk food lacking nutrition, a study released Thursday by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) found.

According to the study, over 90 percent of Brazilians eat daily helpings of fruits and vegetables lower than the levels recommended by the Health Ministry (400 grams). Also,the consumption of sugary drinks (juices, fruit drinks and soft drinks) is twice as high as recommended by the ministry.

Rice and beans, along with coffee and juices, are the most popular in Brazilians' diet. Teenagers are the main consumers of those drinks, drinking twice as much as adults. Men eat less greens and fruits than women, but drink five times more alcohol.

In urban areas, the consumption of beer, soft drinks, sandwiches, and salty bread is higher. Brazilians in rural areas have a healthier diet, richer in rice, beans, fish, cassava flour, and sweet potatoes.

Along with a lack of physical activity, the Brazilians' poor diet was cited as one of the main causes of obesity in the country. According to a Health Ministry study published in April, 48 percent of Brazilians are overweight, and 15 percent are obese.