Canada should ban the marketing of all unhealthy foods that children may be exposed to.

Canada should ban the sale of unhealthy foods on TV, social media, billboards and other places where children may be exposed. That's one of the key conclusions of a Canada-wide study involving more than 50 food and nutrition experts, published today by a team at Laval University's Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

The study, conducted as part of a research program by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, also recommended better funding for school lunch programs, limits on salt, sugar and saturated fat in restaurants and processed foods, and taxes on sugary drinks. are doing. Other measures.

The primary objective of the Food-EPI Canada 2023 study, led by Professor Lana Vanderley, Canada Research Chair in Healthy Food Policy, is to assess Canada's progress in developing public policies aimed at creating healthy food environments. It was to evaluate.

The authors note that Canada has taken concrete actions in recent years in a number of areas, including banning partially hydrogenated oils in food, updating food labeling regulations for packaged products, and revising Canada's Food Guide based on recent scientific evidence. It is pointed out that it takes

But despite the good news, the average Canadian isn't eating a healthy diet. 78% of people over the age of 12 do not eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and 58% of the population consumes more sodium than the recommended amount. And 46% of Canadians' energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods.

“Recent advances must not blind us to the important work that remains to ensure a healthy food environment for the whole population, and especially for children,” says Laval University Nutris Center. Professor Vanderley, who is also a researcher, says:

“Even in provinces like Quebec, where targeting children in food marketing campaigns is prohibited, young people are exposed to a tremendous amount of unhealthy food marketing that negatively impacts their attitudes, preferences, and eating habits. Masu.”

“However, there is a growing body of research confirming that limiting children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing can have a significant positive impact on the quality of their diet. Canada too. It is time to follow the example of countries like the UK and Mexico, which are proposing new policies” to address this issue. ”

“To create a healthy food environment for all and make real progress in the fight against diet-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer, we need a bold, comprehensive and collaborative approach. “This will require significant political action,” Wanderley concluded. .