mmg.com.au

Men who live in the Hume region need to tuck into their vegies more after a report revealed just 5.4 per cent meet dietary guidelines for vegetable consumption.

However, women in the region eat more vegetables than the state average, with 16.7 per cent meeting dietary guidelines, compared with 11.2 per cent across Victoria.

The findings were revealed in the state government's Victorian public health survey 2009, released on Sunday. The Hume region includes the Goulburn and Murray valleys and in 2009 had an estimated population of 271,362, with 75.6 per cent being adults.

The report also showed men were more likely to be overweight than women. There were 42.6 per cent of men who were overweight and 20.1 per cent were obese. On average in Victoria 39.7 per cent of men were overweight and 18.4 per cent obese.

Meanwhile, 28.9 per cent of women were overweight and 19.5 per cent were obese. The state averages were 22.3 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.

Vegetable and potato growers group Ausveg said a study had shown almost half of younger Australians knew little about recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.

Ausveg communications officer Luke Raggatt said generation Y needed better education.

''Education is the key here, it needs to conveyed to the younger generations that each serve must be roughly a handful of fruit or veg,'' Mr Raggatt said.

The University of Sydney study, published in the Nutrition and Dietetics journal, surveyed 106 university students aged between 18 and 24 and found just 54 per cent knew what a recommended serving of fruit and vegetables was.

The Victorian public health survey 2009 report also found:

• In 2009, 24.4 per cent of males and 17.2 per cent of females were current smokers, which was similar to the Victorian figure;
• Alcohol consumption patterns were on par with the Victorian average, while 21.6 per cent of women in the region abstained from alcohol, compared with nine per cent of men;
• Men experiencing a low level of psychological distress was similar to the state average of 65.2 per cent;
• Women were more likely to have a low level psychological distress compared to the Victorian counterparts (64.1 per cent compared with 56.3 per cent);
• 75.1 per cent of men met physical activity guidelines - much higher than the state average of 63.6 per cent;
• 65 per cent of women met physical activity guidelines - similar to the Victorian average;
• Nearly 11 per cent of people reported being diagnosed with asthma by a doctor and experiencing symptoms in the previous 12 months;
• More than 66 per cent of those people said they received an asthma action plan from their doctor, the highest figure in the state;
• Life expectancy of women at birth in 2007 was 84.1 years; the Victorian figure was 84.4.
• Life expectancy of men at birth in 2007 was 79.3 years; the Victorian figure was 80.3.

The view the full report visit the Department of Health website.