Health Canada released (or perhaps didn’t release) a very
well written treatise on Measuring the
Food Environment in Canada. The
publication states it will posted at Health Canada’s Nutrition
Policy website and it is not there yet, hopefully delayed only in processes
like translation.
However, the kind readers who forwarded to me, suggested
that it will not be posted and perhaps the contents provide some
indication. They take full aim at food
swamps. Food swamps are areas where
there is an over abundance of high-fat high-calorie foods and often associated with
lower socio-economic areas of communities.
Translated, the major fast food chains congregate in poorer areas of
town, and one might expect that these food chains will have a strong voice of objection to
the report. The Harper government has already buckled several times to food industry pressure.
The other key findings, none of which are a surprise:
o
Most of the
Canadian literature published to date shows associations between features of
the food environment and residents’ diet-related outcomes, even after adjusting
for important confounding variables.
o
Food deserts appear to exist based on already
performed food environment assessments.
These are areas where residents may find it difficult to obtain quality
food options.
o
There is insufficient information on food
environments in northern Canada.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy, use the link about and go to
Publications and request the document directly. Enough demand may stimulate its release. (Health Canada is indicating they are in a website revision) If you are having problems, contact
drphealth@gmail.com and a copy will be
sent to you.
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