Food Guide Facts: Background for Educators and Communicators
Return
to the Fact Sheet List
1. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating: Its Rationale
This fact sheet will provide you, as an educator or communicator, with:
Canada Has a New Food Guide
The Food Guide was needed for several reasons:
- to address current nutrition issues;
- to provide consumers with updated information;
- to recognize changes Canadians are already making in their eating
patterns;
- to provide consumers with practical and realistic guidance in selecting
foods; and
- to present a new design to reflect newer healthy eating messages.
The Importance of Healthy Eating
For some time it has been known that adequate nutrition is essential
for proper growth and development. More recently, it has been accepted
that healthy eating is a significant factor in reducing the risk of developing
nutrition-related problems, including: heart disease, cancer, obesity,
hypertension (high blood pressure), osteoporosis, anaemia, dental decay
and some bowel disorders.
Now, the importance of healthy eating is also being recognized as a way
to actively promote health. Healthy eating contributes to an overall sense
of well-being and helps people to look, feel and perform better.
What "Reducing Risk" Means
Reducing risk means that the chances of developing a disease are lowered.
lt does not guarantee that a disease will be prevented. Since several
factors are involved in the development of disease, risk reduction usually
involves several different strategies or approaches. For instance, healthy
eating is one positive action that may help to avoid a potential problem.
Healthy Eating in Canada
It is important to understand that the Food Guide is based on nutrition
and food Science. A key reference is Nutrition Recommendations - The
Report of the Scientific Review Committee, published in 1990 by Health
Canada. This report contains a review of nutrition research conducted
by a committee of scientists and provides recommendations describing the
desired characteristics of the Canadian diet. The Nutrition recommendations,
which are reviewed regularly, act as the foundation for all nutrition
and healthy eating programs in the country.
Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating
A committee of experts in communications and program planning worked
with the committee of scientists and prepared the report Action Towards
Healthy Eating. They adapted the Nutrition Recommendations into a
more user-friendly set of statements called Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating. These Guidelines promote healthy eating in a general
way:
- Enjoy a variety of foods.
- Emphasize cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruits.
- Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and foods prepared with
little or no fat.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical
activity and healthy eating.
- Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating takes Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating one step further.
It gives consumers more detailed information on establishing healthy
eating
habits through the daily selection of food.
The Food Guide was developed through the work of task and technical
groups, consumer research and consultation with stakeholder groups.
The Food Guide is a basic nutrition education tool used:
- to help plan healthy meals for individuals or groups; and
- to evaluate a person's eating habits in a general way but not to assess
nutritional status.
The Food Guide meets the nutritional needs of all Canadians four years
of age and over and has been designed specifically for the general public
with a reading level of grade seven. It is not appropriate for those under
the age of four because the number of servings and the serving sizes are
too large for toddlers and preschoolers.
Food Guide Materials
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating tear sheet, consumer booklet
and the fact sheets for educators and communicators are available from
provincial or local health departments or from: Publications, Health Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Tel. (613) 954-5995.
References
Nutrition Recommendations - The Report of the Scientific Review Committee.
Health Canada. 1990. Available from: book stores that sell federal
government publications. Or from: Canada Communication Group, Publishing,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S9. Inquiries: Tel. (819) 956-4800.
Price: $18.95. Taxes and shipping charges extra.
Nutrition Recommendations - A Call for Action. Summary Report of
the Scientific Review Committee and the Communications / Implementation
Committee. Health and Welfare Canada. 1989. Available from: Publications,
Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Tel. (613) 954-5995.
Action Towards Healthy Eating- Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating
and Recommended Strategies for Implementation. Report of the Communications
/Implementation Committee. Health and Welfare Canada. 1990. Available
from: Publications, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Tel. (613)
954-5995.
|
