Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 151

834891
research-article2019

CPHXXX10.1177/1715163519834891C P J / R P CC P J / R P C

COMMENTARY
EDITORIAL

Commentary * Peer-reviewed

Canada's new Healthy Eating Strategy:
Implications for health care professionals
and a call to action
Simon L. Bacon, PhD, FTOS, FCCS, FABMR; Norm R. C. Campbell, MD, FRCP(C); Kim D. Raine, PhD, RD, FCAHS;
Ross T. Tsuyuki, BSc(Pharm), PharmD, MSc, FCSHP, FACC, FCAHS; Nadia A. Khan, MD, MSc, FRCP(C);
Manuel Arango, MA, MHA; Janusz Kaczorowski, MA, PhD

Summary

Nearly two-thirds of all deaths worldwide are from noncommunicable chronic diseases, with a similar proportion in Canada.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, unhealthy
eating is the leading risk for death and the second leading risk
for disability in Canada. It is clear that to adequately address
this major health issue, we need a comprehensive approach that
includes strong governmental policy. In 2016, the Canadian government released its Healthy Eating Strategy, for which updating Canada's Food Guide was a key element. The government
released the first wave of documents (including the new food
guide and dietary guidelines) in January 2019, with the healthy
eating patterns guidance to follow later in 2019. Much of this
work aligns with a number of policies that have been developed
and adopted by the Canadian health and scientific organizations that are members of the Canadian Hypertension Advisory Committee. As such, the current editorial is a call to action
for the health care and scientific community, both individuals
and organizations, to ensure they have policies consistent with
and supportive of those that have been developed through the
Hypertension Advisory Committee collaboration and to actively
To ensure that this call for action (or elements of it)
has as wide an impact as possible, it is being simultaneously published in the following journals and newsletters: Canadian Pharmacists Journal, Canadian Journal
of Diabetes, Canadian Journal of General Internal Medicine, Health and Fitness Journal of Canada and CV Edge.
It will also be published in an upcoming issue of Canadian Family Physician.

participate in providing input and feedback on the Healthy Eating Strategy through the Health Canada Stakeholder Registry.

The impact of unhealthy diets on Canadians

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 63% of
deaths worldwide result from noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and
obesity).1-3 It is estimated that NCDs cost Canada $190 billion/
year,4 a financial burden that continues to grow as NCD morbidity, comorbidity and mortality are increasing.5 Superimposed on
these changes has been an escalation in the absolute numbers of
people with hypertension,6,7 dyslipidemia8 and diabetes,9 all of
which also significantly contribute to mortality and morbidity.7,8,10
Unhealthy eating is the leading risk for death and the second
leading risk for disability in Canada. According to the Global
Burden of Disease Study, dietary risks are estimated to have
killed approximately 48,000 Canadians and resulted in over
800,000 years of disability in 2016.11 The economic burden
of unhealthy eating in Canada is high, accounting for an estimated $13.8 billion/year.12 Key drivers of this unhealthy eating
pattern in Canadians are increased consumption of processed
foods high in calories, salt, sugar and saturated fat and a lack
of whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables.13,14
For example, 75% of Canadians surpass the recommended
dietary salt intake, and over half of Canadians are consuming
diets above the recommended sugar and saturated fat levels.13

The role of policy in diet

Historically, limited access to food has been the major challenge facing humans.15,16 However, the Second Agricultural
Revolution around the 18th century was seen as a major shift
© The Author(s) 2019
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Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019

Regulation and innovation in practice – Not a “drug interaction”?
Dietary sodium and the health of Canadians
Professional abstinence: What does it mean for pharmacists?
Canada’s new Healthy Eating Strategy: Implications for health care professionals and a call to action
Report from the 2018 National Summit on Wicked Problems in Community Pharmacy
Medical abortion: A practice tool for pharmacists
Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?
The pharmacist’s role in successful deprescribing through hospital medication reconciliation
Pharmacists to improve hypertension management: Guideline concordance from North America to Europe
The patient experience in a community pharmacy mental illness and addictions program
Community pharmacists’ experiences with the Saskatchewan Medication Assessment Program
Cross-Canada updates
The conference experience—Making it yours
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Intro
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Cover1
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Cover2
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 137
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 138
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 139
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 140
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 141
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 142
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Regulation and innovation in practice – Not a “drug interaction”?
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 144
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 145
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 146
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Dietary sodium and the health of Canadians
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Professional abstinence: What does it mean for pharmacists?
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 149
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 150
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Canada’s new Healthy Eating Strategy: Implications for health care professionals and a call to action
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 152
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 153
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 154
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 155
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 156
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 157
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Report from the 2018 National Summit on Wicked Problems in Community Pharmacy
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 159
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Medical abortion: A practice tool for pharmacists
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 161
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 162
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 163
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 165
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 166
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 167
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 168
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 169
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 170
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 171
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 172
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 173
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 174
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 175
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 176
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - The pharmacist’s role in successful deprescribing through hospital medication reconciliation
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 178
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 179
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Pharmacists to improve hypertension management: Guideline concordance from North America to Europe
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 181
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 182
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 183
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 184
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 185
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - The patient experience in a community pharmacy mental illness and addictions program
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 187
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 188
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 189
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 190
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 191
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 192
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Community pharmacists’ experiences with the Saskatchewan Medication Assessment Program
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 194
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 195
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 196
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 197
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 198
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 199
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 200
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 201
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 202
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 203
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Cross-Canada updates
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 205
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 206
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - The conference experience—Making it yours
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 208
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 209
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 210
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 211
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - 212
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Cover3
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - Cover4
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH1
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH2
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH3
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH4
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH5
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH6
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH7
Canadian Pharmacists Journal - May/June 2019 - CPH8
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