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Health food
Health care has been in the news lately, with the federal health minister Jane Philpott both working with and battling against provincial ministers about about money and policy and how best to serve Canadians.
Alongside that bit of drama, Philpott has announced changes to recommendations on how Canadians eat, with a long-due overhaul of the Canada Food Guide and restrictions on advertising foods high in sugar, salt and fat to children under the age of 13.
These changes are a breath of fresh air.
Most nutritionists will agree the Food Guide is not helpful, with outdated information and science. And it seems obvious, when there is, nationally, an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes. If anything, they are late to the game.
After all, an ounce of prevention, as the saying goes, is worth a pound of the cure.
But adding new labels to food and making new recommendations is only a part of the solution to the problem.
Visit your local food bank and you’ll find plenty of foods high in sugar, salt and artificial fats. They are staples because, in the short term, they fill bellies.
And because they are cheap. That makes them easier to donate, and easier for food banks—with high demands and few resources—to purchase.
Anyone in poverty, or even those just trying to stick to a budget as food prices inflate faster than incomes can keep up, will likely have similar foods in their shopping carts.
The fact is, changing Canada’s nutritional recommendations won’t make Canadians eat more healthily. It just makes poor Canadians more aware that healthy foods are not financially possible.
In 2009, the Canadian Journal of Public Health published a study that found poor areas had more access to fast food outlets than grocery stores offering healthful foods like fruits and vegetables. And while many fast food chains have made an effort to offer greener alternatives to burgers and fries, those foods are not only more expensive, they also still have high salt, sugar and fat content along with fruit and veggies.
And keeping active can be costly, too. The time and money involved in many physical activities, especially with children and especially in Canada, where half the year is winter, is beyond reach for many Canadians.
Of course, if the prevention is that expensive, the cure must be astronomical.
Heart disease is the single most costly illness for the Canadian healthcare budget at nearly $21 billion annually. Diabetes isn’t far behind. The healthcare system isn’t the only loser. Workplace productivity loss, insurance costs and early death are also costing Canadians billions.
Perhaps, along with improved recommendations, the healthcare budget should subsidize Canadians’ healthy grocery budgets. After all, an ounce of prevention can only work if it’s taken to heart.
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