It costs Canada $9B to treat obesity, while barely any money is put into preventative care

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The National Post

In Canada obesity-related health care costs are as high as $7 billion and are projected to increase to nearly $9 billion by 2021. But experts say many of these costs are a result of the health care system’s failure to properly treat obesity. Rather than taking a proactive approach, the system is instead set up to treat conditions that develop as a result of the disease which results in more money being spent in the long-run. Read the article here

How sugar dies in Canada — and umami thrives everywhere else

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CBC

Overview on restrictions on marketing to children and the rise and fall of Bill S-228 due to extensive industry lobbying and procedural play. Listen to CBC’s Cost of Living Episode 6 here.

 

Weight Coalition finds too many companies are marketing junk food to kids

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CTV News Montreal

Food companies in Quebec are exploiting loopholes in the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) that prohibit commercial advertising that targets children under 13 years old. Coalition Poids identified 469 food packages targeting children from different businesses. Shop windows, displays and product packaging are not covered by the law. Read OpEd here.

To fix health care, start by making us less sick

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CBC News  

Yves Savoie, CEO of the Heart & Stroke and Nick Saul, CEO of Community Food Centres Canada write that Canadians are getting sicker at unprecedented and crisis-level rates as a result of the food we eat that is far too often high in saturated fat, salt and/or sugar, as well as a host of additives and emulsifiers. All ingredients that are common in ultra-processed foods. Read OpED here.

The Current with Laura Lynch: Childhood Obesity

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CBC Radio

Coalition co-chair, Dr. Tom Warshawki on CBC radio’s The Current with Hannah Brinsden of the World Obesity Federation discussing childhood obesity and reasonable policy interventions to protect children’s rights to health. You can listen to the interview here.

Coalition Poids: Review Food Advertising Children in Quebec

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Coalition Poids Study

Coalition Poids released their study to show how much marketing to kids is still present in Quebec.  Quebec’s Loi sur la protection du consommateur du Québec, prohibits advertising aimed at children, but excludes packaging, displays and display cases.  Coalition Poids’ study found that more than 90% of products with characters and images targeting children in grocery stores are for ultra-processed food.
You can read the press release here (French), English content here, and media coverage in Le Journal de Montreal here.

 

The Child Health Protect Act: advocacy must continue

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CMAJ
An article by Nancy Greene Raine and Dr. Norm Campbell outlining the fate of Bill S-228 and why protecting our children from marketing of unhealthy foods must remain a priority this election Read here..

HFSS promotions in Scotland to be restricted

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Food Navigator

In its latest annual Programme for Government published last week, the Scottish Government included measures to bring forward a bill restricting the promotion and marketing of food and drink high in fat, salt and saturated fat. The proposed bill will also aim to protect children, plans to extend current restrictions for non-broadcast advertising of HFSS food and drink. Read more here.

Are food politics defeating Canada’s healthy eating strategy?

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CBC News
An article that discusses the effect industry lobbying has had on marketing to kid restrictions and front of package labelling, two pillars of the Liberal Government’s healthy eating strategy. Read here…

Junk food and kids: Canadian paediatricians want marketing bill passed

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Radio-Canada International

Dr. Andrew Lynk explains the bill and the urgency to get it passed before summer recess. However if the bill doesn’t pass then he says paediatricians will renew their efforts to get the bill re-instated and passed.  The health implications for Canada are too important to let the situation continue. Listen to interview.