Interesting Times in Canada - 2600 family physicians in Canada using ketogenic diets with patients!

(David Cumming) #1
(Bunny) #2

I really like the careful and complex evaluation methods for the frame work to base future recommendations… from the above cited consultation report, this should serve as an example worldwide (this is so awesome, I love this kind of stuff!)

Health Canada Canada’s Food Guide Consultation PHASE 1
WHAT WE HEARD REPORT
JUNE 10th, 2017

5.5 Interest in Healthy Eating Recommendations Based on Level of Food Processing

General Public Participant Views

Most general public participants indicated that healthy eating recommendations based on the level of processing of foods would be helpful to them as there is a desire for information about:

• the effects of the level of processing of foods;
• health risks and safety concerns about processed foods;
• the content of processed foods, such as whether they contain:

  • articial ingredients
  • genetically modi ed organisms
  • preservatives
    • the nutritional value of processed

foods, such as the:

  • nutrients;
  • sodium/sugar content;
  • saturated/trans fats; and calories.

Participants called for general health and nutrition advice in relation to:

• processed foods to make better food choices; and
• guidance to encourage behaviours, such as:

  • buying locally grown foods; and cooking at home more often

Two opposing points of view were put forward by contributors:

  1. That processed foods are convenient (widely available and easy to prepare) and therefore guidance should include recommendations based on the level of food processing; and

  2. Among those who indicated such guidance would not be helpful, that processed foods should not be consumed at all, and therefore recommendations should not include a reference to them.
    Identifying what foods are processed and details about processing methods were an area where guidance was requested.

Views of Participating Professionals and Organizations

Participating professionals and organizations indicated that it is “essential” or “very important” for Health Canada’s dietary guidance to include content related to the impact of ultra-processed foods on healthy eating.

This content is particularly important to those who use such guidance for:

• individual nutritional counselling and assessment;
• group education; or
• the assessment of eating habits in re-
search or surveillance/monitoring.

Participating professionals and organizations acknowledged, like the general public participants, that processed foods were a choice for many due to their:
• convenience; and
• availability and ease of preparation.

Therefore, guidance on the level of food processing would be helpful to:

• combat public confusion about:

  • which foods are processed;
  • the level of food processing;
  • the importance of limiting processed
    food in the diet; and
    • improve/enable better consumer decision-making when purchasing food.

In addition, participants were asked to identify other “essential” or “very important” potential topics for inclusion in dietary guidance, such as:

• eating behaviours;
• role of food skills; and
• enjoyment of eating.

Among participating organizations, there was more variance on the topics deemed essential/very important. Several participating organizations that most often use healthy eating recommendations for individual nutritional counselling and assessment or for group education considered content on the impact of ultra-processed foods as essential/very important. While those that most often use recommendations for tool and resource development considered content on eating behaviours and role of food skills as essential/very important.

Participating organizations that most often use recommendations for program design considered content related to the impact of ultra-processed foods, eating behaviours and role of food skills, as essential/very important. Participating organizations that most often use such recommendations for food product development or marketing considered content related to food security, enjoyment of eating, eating behaviours, and role of food skills as essential/very important.

5.6 Usefulness of Approaches in Helping to Reduce Sugar Consumption

General Public Participant Views

General public participants considered several approaches presented to help Canadians reduce their consumption of sugars as “useful”.

In particular, the approaches considered “very” or “somewhat” useful by the highest number of contributors were:

• more information on food labels about sugars;
• messages about how to reduce consumption of sugars; and
• restricting the marketing of foods high in sugar to children.

These were followed closely by:

• a recommended limit on amount of
sugars to eat each day;
• a Health Canada policy position on
sugar-sweetened beverages; and
• targeting messages to the highest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Views of Participating Professionals and Organizations

Similarly, participating professionals and organizations considered several of the approaches presented to help Canadians reduce their consumption of sugars as useful. Among these participants, relatively fewer considered the approach of “more information on food labels about sugars” to be useful. …More

#3

This is fantastic!

I can see the day coming in the U.S., though I’m sure the Grains Council and Pharmaceuticals industry (which is bigger than oil, gas, and chemicals combined) is doing everything they can to stop it.

Being that there is quite the media embargo on lots of Canadian related news reporting, this is a radical blog headline.