Frequently Asked Questions
The new Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity is intended to promote overall healthy living while reducing the risk of developing diseases related to poor eating habits, inactivity and unhealthy body weights.
The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) helps to answer some common questions about Canada's Guide tor Healthy Eating and Physical Activity .
Q1. What is Canada's Guide tor Healthy Eating and Physical Activity ?
A. Canada's Guide tor Healthy Eating and Physical Activity is a guide for Canadians that combines the important information from both our popular food and physical activity guides. Its purpose is to promote the benefits of healthy eating, regular physical activity and healthy weights and to show you how to manage them so you can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
In this Guide, you will be able to get the information you need on how to eat well, be active and achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, all in one document.
Q2. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating was last published in 1992 and the Physical Activity Guide in 1998. Why is Health Canada just now creating this Guide?
A. Canada's Guide tor Healthy Eating and Physical Activity is based on the Healthy Living Strategy which the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health endorsed in 2003 and committed to in 2004. This Guide is one of the first of many products that will come from the Healthy Living Strategy. Our hope is that it will help Canadians recognize the long-term health benefits of healthy eating, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Q3. Does this new Guide to Healthy Eating & Active Living replace both Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and Canada's Physical Activity Guide for Healthy Active Living
A. No, the two existing Guides are not being replaced. Both Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and Canada's Physical Activity Guide will still be available. Health Canada 's guidance on healthy eating and physical activity has not changed either. Key information from both guides has been combined to help Canadians understand the long-term health benefits of healthy eating, physical activity and maintaining healthy weights in one tool.
Q4. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is presently undergoing an update. Why are you publishing a new Guide when a revision process to Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is underway?
A. The process underway to revise Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is completely independent of the production of Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity . Currently, Health Canada is conducting research and analysis to determine the extent of the changes that will take place to Canada's Food Guide . The elements of the revision process are currently under development and the target date for completion is Spring 2006.
Q5. If you are currently updating Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating , does this mean the information in the current guide is not accurate?
A. No. It is very clear from the review findings that Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating continues to provide dietary guidance that is scientifically sound and that the Guide remains a useful tool for showing Canadians how to build and maintain a healthy pattern of eating. The review demonstrated that the Guide's many strengths -- flexibility, simplicity, popularity and, most importantly, consistency with current science -- are still valid today.
The review findings do show, however, that Canadians face some challenges with the current Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and that changes can be made to improve the presentation and range of the information to make it more meaningful.
When the revisions to Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating are completed in the Spring of 2006, Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity will need to be reviewed to determine if a revision is necessary.
Q6. Who was involved in the creation of Canada's Guide tor Healthy Eating and Physical Activity ?
A. Health Canada experts in physical activity, nutrition and communications have been involved in creating the new guide. As well, we asked for and received input from practitioners such as dietitians, educators, fitness leaders and doctors , along with consumers who would likely use the guide. Key stakeholders were ke pt informed of the progress of the Guide's development and comments were encouraged.
Q7. Is this Guide simply a reformatting of the existing Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and Canada's Physical Activity Guide for Healthy Active Living?
A. Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity is the best of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and Canada's Physical Activity Guide bundled up into one easy-to-use package.
The information and guidance with respect to healthy eating and physical activity remains consistent with other Health Canada guidance. The format of the Guide and graphics within have been modernized. Some combined healthy living messages have also been included to help better communicate the advice provided in both documents.
We believe this new design, with its focus on the link between healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weights, will go a long way in helping Canadians make wise, healthy choices.
Q8. What will happen to this Guide when Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is updated in 2006?
A. When the revisions to Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating are completed in the Spring of 2006, Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity will need to be reviewed to determine if a revision is necessary.
|
