January 2019 Event Highlights and Nutrition Updates

The dietitians and nutrition scientists at the Canadian Sugar Institute (CSI) would like to share a number of updates from January 2019 that could be of interest to you:

1. CSI sponsored two webinars hosted by the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS): Part 1 Visual storytelling – What are infographics and how can they be used to share important nutrition messages? And Part 2 Visual storytelling – Learning how to create an effective infographic  
2. CSI staff attended the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) 2019 thematic conference: Healthy Diets and Weight – Sorting Fact from Fiction
3. Sugars consumption report based on Canadian Community Health Survey 2015 was published by Statistics Canada
4. Canada’s Food Guide was released

1. Infographics Webinars

Infographics are an important tool to communicate nutrition messages. On January 9 and January 16^th, CSI led two webinars in partnership with CNS, to provide information on where and how infographics are used in public health and nutrition, and featured a 7-step process for designing an infographic (Part 1). An interactive demonstration was also created on the Piktochart platform to guide attendees to build their own infographic (Part 2). If you missed the sessions, don’t worry! The Canadian Nutrition Society has the recorded webinars and resources available on their website, or you can connect with the presenter Kaitlin Roke (kaitlin.roke@sugar.ca) for questions or for more information.

2. CNS Thematic Conference: Healthy Diets and Weight – Sorting Fact from Fiction

On January 12^th, CSI staff attended the CNS thematic conference “Advances in nutrition: Healthy diets and weight – sorting fact from fiction“. The full day program discussed body weight management, and presenters shared data on topics including the effects of mental health and healthy eating behaviours. What is clear from the research, is that that the “best” diet is the one that works best for each individual. Experts in the field of macronutrient metabolism, energy balance and body weight regulation eloquently summarized physiological factors that influence the effectiveness of weight loss strategies. Registered dietitians provided their perspectives in clinical practice and emphasized that approaching conversations about food, diet, and body weight with empathy and asking questions about what is and isn’t working, is an effective starting point. Further, discussing behaviors like family meals, sleep routines, screen time, and physical activity were encouraged, and asking questions about other changes (e.g. blood lipid levels, fitting of clothes, improved mood and energy levels, etc.) can be valuable outcomes beyond focusing on body weight. CSI wants to congratulate CNS on a well-organized conference, and thank the presenters for their thoughtful and informative presentations.

3.Statistics Canada Sugars Consumption Report

On January 16^th, Statistics Canada released the report “Change in total sugars consumption among Canadian children and adults”, based on dietary information collected as part of the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The report describes Canadian intakes of total sugars (from naturally occurring and added sources) in 2015, and compares them to the data obtained a decade ago (CCHS 2004). Overall, the study found that average daily total sugars consumption from food and beverages decreased from 2004 to 2015, ranging from 3-13 grams/ day for various age groups. However, after excluding misreporters, data from the “plausible reporters” did not show any change in total sugars consumption among children or adults. The report acknowledges that the data are based on one 24-hour dietary recall and there are inherent limitations associated with categorizing data by misreporting status. Read more about CSI’s comments on the sugars consumption report here.

4. Canada’s Food Guide

On January 22^nd, Health Canada released the new Canada’s Food Guide. The dietitians and nutrition researchers at the Canadian Sugar Institute are broadly supportive of the approach to healthy eating in the new Canada’s Food Guide where it encourages Canadians to “Eat a variety of healthy foods each day” and also recognizes that “Healthy eating is more than the foods you eat”. In addition to specific guidance regarding healthy food choices, it highlights the importance of enjoying your food, using food labels to make informed choices, cooking more often, and sharing meals with others. Read more about CSI’s comments on the Food Guide here.

References:

• Langlois K, Garriguet D, Gonzalez A, Sinclar S, Colapinto CK. Change in total sugars consumption among Canadian children and adults. Health Reports. 2019.
• Government of Canada. Sugars. 2018
• Government of Canada. Canada’s Food Guide. 2019.

Additional Resources:

• Canadian Sugar Institute comment on new Canada’s Food Guide
• Canadian Sugar Institute – Highlights of Statistics Canada Sugars Consumption Report
• Consumption of Sugars in Canada
• Previous analysis of Statistics Canada Health Report: Sugar consumption among Canadians
• A review of sugar consumption from nationally representative dietary surveys across the world