Dietary Guidance
Developing dietary guidance that defines and promotes healthy eating among Canadians has been a priority at Health Canada over many years. The overall purpose of dietary guidance is to identify and promote a pattern of eating that meets nutrient needs and reduces the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Health Canada's guidance is based on an analysis of the scientific evidence about the role of nutrition in health, as well as an understanding of the environment within which Canadians are making food choices and current patterns of consumption. As scientific knowledge evolves and Canadians continue to adapt to their changing environments, it is important to provide appropriately updated and relevant dietary guidance for Canadians.
Since the early 1990's, a number of significant changes have taken place that resulted in a decision to review and update dietary guidance in Canada. Some of these changes include updated nutrient reference values for healthy populations in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) reports, as well as an evolving food supply and patterns of eating, rising rates of nutrition-related chronic disease, and the ever changing environment that affects the lifestyles of Canadians and their food choices.
Refer to the document Nutrition Policies and Dietary Guidance in Canada for an overview of the work that Health Canada is undertaking to analyze these changes and the proposed approach to develop dietary guidance policies.
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