Dr. Susan Barr, one of the nutrition experts involved in creating Canada’s Food Guide, came to give our medical class a lecture today. In 2007, there was a new Food Guide released, replacing the old 1992 version ( about time!). So what’s different about this new version?
- Well, the old version didn’t have food recommendations that were specific to age and sex, so the recommendations were general and were considered applicable to someone who’s 10 years old as well as someone who’s 50 years old. That doesn’t make much sense since a growing child will obviously have different nutrient requirements than a woman who is menopausal. The new version is more individualized, and gives recommendations that are specific for your age and sex.
- Since we’re catching up to the US in terms of childhood obesity, the new Food Guide was created with obesity prevention in mind. Therefore, the energy targets (i.e. the amount of calories) specified are for a sedentary activity level.
- There’s also now an interactive web component. You can create your own individualized food guide based on what food you like, while making sure that you are meeting your nutritional requirements and not exceeding your recommended energy intake. This would be a good activity to do with kids, and they can get a one-page print out of their own personal food guide to hang on the fridge!
As I’m looking at the recommended servings of vegetables and fruit for my age and sex (7-8 servings!), I’m realizing that it’s almost evening time and I am quite a few servings away from that goal. Better go munch on some carrots…
IMAGE CREDIT: Here.
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This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Education, Fitness, Food/Restaurants, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Great Article,
Proper eating is very important to know. The old health guide recommended way to much food from the industry involving cattle, due to the fact that it was in large part funded by the dairy industry of Canada. I am happy to see there have been some revisions. Do you know who paid for the new food guide? I find you learn the real truth when you follow the cash flow. This time they I hope they used science and not funding to determine healthy eating and by your review, I’m sure they did. Great article.
RAF
Thanks for the comment RAF.
Yeah, good question…and I’m not certain I know the answer. The Canada Food Guide website does discuss how the revision process took place (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/context/rev/rev_proc_e.html) and there is no mention of outside sponsorship to get funding ( but I’m guessing it probably wouldn’t be so obviously stated if there was…).
It seems like a food advisory committee of 12 individuals was chosen (one of them being the speaker I mention in my post), and they all seem to be nutrition/health experts from around the country. I would like to think that that in itself would prevent any one-sided influence to seep through the food guide, but then again, you never know…