Time to protect our kids from sugary foods and drinks

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/01/2019 (2811 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As a registered dietitian, I spend a lot of time thinking about the food we eat and the things we can do as a society to help all of us make healthier eating choices.

That is especially true when it comes to sugar.

Excess sugar consumption is a significant health issue in Canada, and is linked with heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The single largest cause of excess sugar consumption is sugary drinks. Just one can of pop contains 40 grams, or 10 teaspoons of sugar. But the problem doesn’t start and end with soft drinks. High levels of sugar can be found in numerous other beverages, including sports drinks, flavoured waters and milk, flavoured coffees and teas, and 100 per cent fruit juice.

Sugary drinks have little or no health benefits and do not provide the same feeling of fullness as solid food for the same number of calories. Even more concerning is that young people consume the most sugary drinks. The average youth drinks about 16 teaspoons of sugar each day.

Clearly, Canadians can help themselves by swapping sugary foods and beverages in favour of healthier choices.

But I’m pleased to report there are also a number of initiatives currently underway that can help support Canadians in making those choices.

Many of these plans are outlined in the federal government’s healthy eating strategy, which includes proposals to modernize and update Canada’s food guide, improve the nutritional labelling on the front of food packages and restrict marketing of food and beverage choices to kids.

In each case, these initiatives promise to help raise awareness about the health issues associated with excess sugar intake and help reduce consumption.

For example, it is expected that the new version of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, which provides nutritional guidance for individuals, families and school lunch programs, among others, will no longer list juice as an alternative to whole vegetables and fruit.

The guide, which is expected to be released early this year will also discourage consumption of sugary drinks and recommend water as the beverage of choice for hydration.

The strategy also contains plans to add nutrition labels on the front of food packages that are clearly visible and easy to understand for products high in nutrients of concern.

This will help steer Canadians away from products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat and towards healthier options. Sugary drink containers will also have an alert symbol.

Perhaps one of the most important elements of the strategy is Bill S-228, which is intended to restrict the marketing of food and beverages that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fat to children under the age of 13.

We know marketing works. Advertising on TV and other digital platforms has the power to influence children’s food preferences, purchase requests and choices. We also know that 90 per cent of the foods marketed to kids are high in sugar, salt and saturated fat. This bill has the potential to protect our children from this kind of marketing. It will also support parents who are trying their best to instil healthy eating habits in their children.

Some have criticized the bill for being too restrictive. But it is important to note that it is based on evidence and is consistent with recommendations from the World Health Organization. It also avoids potential unintended consequences by exempting community sports sponsorships, and will not affect what people can buy or what is advertised to adults.

In fact, a restriction on marketing to kids has been in place in Quebec for over 20 years.

The Quebec advertising ban has been shown to significantly decrease the tendency to consume fast food, and is linked to lower obesity rates as well as higher vegetable and fruit consumption. Similar positive health outcomes have been found in other jurisdictions with marketing restrictions.

The good news is that this bill has been passed by the House of Commons. The bad news is it is stalled in the Senate and is apparently falling victim to industry bullying.

This is unfortunate. As a society, we have a duty to keep children safe and give them the best start for a long, healthy life.

Passing Bill S-228, and implementing other elements of the healthy eating strategy, will go a long way in doing just that.

For more information visit: heartandstroke.ca.

Amanda Nash is a registered dietitian and the health promotion and nutrition manager for Heart & Stroke Manitoba.