1er June 2009 – Canadians are consuming fewer calories than a few years ago and eating more fruit. This is great news when it comes to protection against obesity and cancer. Food information campaigns seem to be working. But there is reason to wonder why the rates of overweight, obesity and cancer do not drop as we improve our diets.
The latest data from Statistics Canada1– Food Statistics 2008 – notably shows that the diet of Canadians last year contained 131 calories less than in 2001. The total daily amount of calories consumed per person fell to 2,382 calories, compared to 2,513 calories recorded seven years ago. According to analysts, this reduction is attributable to the decrease in the amount of oil, red meat and soft drinks in the diet.
Too much sugar
But experts generally estimate that 2382 calories per day is still a lot for people who are more sedentary and exercise little physically. Especially since the consumption of refined sugar increased among Canadians in 2008: it actually increased by 1 kg last year, reaching 23.1 kg per person. Although the consumption of sugary drinks declined by about 3 liters per person between 2007 and 2008, it still stands at 73.2 liters, which is a lot of refined sugar.
Lots of fruit, but …
In 2008, every Canadian also ate 10 kg more fruit than 20 years ago. The total amount of fruit available – fresh and processed – reached 47.5 kg per person, a new high. Berries, especially blueberries and cranberries, saw a significant increase. Experts believe that this increase in the consumption of fruits rich in antioxidants could help protect against various forms of cancer. On the other hand, these benefits on public health would be partly undermined by the decrease in the quantities of vegetables in the diet of Canadians. We consumed 79.5 kg of vegetables – fresh and processed – per person in 2008, or 4 kg less than in 2005.
In short, if we can rejoice in some progress in terms of our eating habits, these data also indicate that “the student could do better”.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Press and The Globe and Mail.
1. Food statistics 2008, Statistics Canada, Catalog No. 21-020-X, Canada, 2009. www.statcan.gc.ca
