Canada's food guide is in serious need of an overhaul, concluded a recent report from the Canadian Senate's Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
“Canada’s dated food guide is no longer effective in providing nutritional guidance to Canadians,” said the report, called Obesity in Canada: A Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada. “Fruit juice, for instance, is presented as a healthy item when it is little more than a soft drink without the bubbles.”
Ashley Hurley, a registered dietitian with the City of Lakes Family Health Team, said she rarely refers to the Canadian food guide when working with patients.
She said the food guide states things most people already know – that they should eat more fruits and vegetables, for instance – but doesn't help with the implementation.
But issues with Canada's food guide are only a small part of the senate report, which describes obesity as a crisis.
“Each year 48,000 to 66,000 Canadians die from conditions linked to excess weight,” the report said. “Nearly two thirds of adults and one third of children are obese or overweight; and obesity costs Canada between $4.6 billion and $7.1 billion annually in health care and lost productivity.”
The report makes 21 recommendations, including overhauling Canada's dated food guide; considering a tax on sugar- and artificially-sweetened drinks; banning the advertising of food and beverages to children; and standardizing and expanding nutritional information on food packaging to make it easier to understand.
Hurley said the report has taken a broad approach to addressing Canada's obesity crisis, but it missed an opportunity to recognize dietitians' role in that battle.
“The only thing I think is missing is that they don't mention the importance of access to dietitians,” she said.
The report did recommend, however, that physicians be better trained on the benefits of diet and physical activity.
