I was listening to the conversation on the Arlene Bynon show entitled Fighting Obesity in Canada, while driving home from work this afternoon. The conversation started by suggesting a majority of Canadians surveyed want the Government to take more action in managing childhood obesity. There was also discussion about whether the term obesity should even be used between doctor and patient. I found the conversation interesting and compelling and if I had the phone number handy, I would have placed a call.
In this blog I’m going to share with you some of my thoughts on obesity and the Government’s role in reducing the obesity rates in Canada. I hope you will join me in the conversation.
- I believe once someone commits to nutrition counselling for healthier eating and/or weight loss it is irrelevant whether the person is defined as overweight or obese
- I believe there is more value in speaking about the health benefits associated with improved eating habits and weight loss
- My (short-term) target weight loss is typically 10% of total body weight, regardless of starting weight or BMI (body mass index). This amount of weight loss would be significant in lowering risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure (to name a few).
- Parents have to take responsibility for their children’s’ health and realize the eating habits and food choices parents are making for themselves and the family will directly impact the children’s eating behaviours and health outcome.
- The Government can assist by placing pressure on the food industry to produce “healthier foods” by reducing the amount of trans fat, sodium, sugar, antibiotics and pesticides etc. that are used in growing or producing foods as well as encourage marketers to avoid targeting children for non-nutritious foods
Here is an example of a Canadian government initiative to reduce the sodium intake of Canadians.
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- The individual Canadian must commit to reducing the amount of processed food in their diet and focus on including more home cooked meals, with fresh, locally grown and produced foods.
You can start by visiting http://www.dietitians.ca/search.aspxsearchtext=home+cooked+meals&searchmode=allwords
- An individual can get assistance in adapting healthier eating into their lifestyle by enlisting the services of a registered dietitian
Find a registered dietitian in your area by visiting http://www.dietitians.ca/Find-A-Dietitian.aspx
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