Chapter 2: Dietary Guidelines and Foods Policy

Question 1

What are 3 ways to determine nutritional status?

Answer 1

• dietary analysis
• laboratory tests
• health or disease state

Question 2

Explain how you conduct a dietary analysis (3 steps)

Answer 2

1. recording everything a person ate for a period
2. comparing recorded intake levels to specific recommendations
3. determining whether the person’s nutrient status is adequate, deficient or excessive

Question 3

define: dietary reference intakes; what are the 4 types?

Answer 3

A set of scientifically determined reference values for nutrient requirements. They tell us how much of a nutrient is required to meet the needs of an individual. Used to assess individual nutritional status and inform dietary recommendations for populations

• estimated average requirement (EAR)
• recommended dietary allowance (RDA)
• adequate intake (AI)
• tolerable upper limit (TUL)

Question 4

define: estimated average requirement (EAR)

Answer 4

• The amount of a nutrient that will meet the needs of 50% of the population

Question 5

define: recommended dietary allowance (RDA)

Answer 5

• The amount of a nutrient that meets the needs of 97% of the population
  This is the preferred DRI for determining accuracy

Question 6

define: adequate intake (AI)

Answer 6

• Determined by observing how much nutrient healthy people eat
• Justification: since these individuals don’t show signs of deficiency, probably adequate amount for others

Question 7

define: tolerable upper limit (TUL)

Answer 7

The recommended intake limit for a nutrient. Consuming beyond this limit increases the likelihood a person will show signs of toxicity

Question 8

define: estimated energy requirement; what is it dependent on (5)

Answer 8

estimates the total amount of energy needed to maintain a person’s current size
- depends on sex, age, weight, height, and activity levels

Question 9

define: acceptable macronutrient distribution range; state the AMDR for carbs, lipids, and proteins

Answer 9

• Acceptable macronutrient distribution range: gives recommendations for the percentage of energy to come from each of the three energy-yielding nutrients (carbs, lipids, proteins)
• carbs: 45-65%
• lipids: 20-35%
• protein: 10-35%

Question 10

Canada’s Food Rules

Answer 10

• 1942

- due to the need to ration during war time

Question 11

Describe Canada’s Food Guide and list the important themes (4) and guiding principles (3)

Answer 11

• themes: variety, accessibility, cultural relevance, seasonal availability
  guiding principles
• Eat a variety of nutritious foods
• Limit the intake of processed or prepared foods
• Knowledge and skills are needed to navigate the complex food environment: plan and prep, share meals with family, choosing nutritious options when eating out

Question 12

What are the 7 food behaviour recommendations from Canada’s Food Guide?

Answer 12

1. Be mindful of eating habits (how, why, when, quantity, where); develop a positive one
2. Cook more often
3. Enjoy your food
4. Eat meals with others
5. Use food labels
6. Limit foods high in sugar, sodium and fat
7. Be aware of food marketing

Question 13

What are the major changes from the last Canada food guide?

Answer 13

• No more food groups
• Emphasis on eating behaviours, not just food you eat; guidance on good decisions
• Focus on dairy is eliminated
• Recommendations to eat less processed foods
• Water as drink of choice
• Emphasis on plants and less animals

Question 14

What are some nutritional recommendations for pregnant and breastfeeding women?

Answer 14

• choose foods with healthy fats (nuts, seeds, fatty fish, vegetables); omega 3 fatty acids is good for healthy brain development
• choose fish low in mercury because at high levels it impacts child brain development
• eat more to support the growth of a child
• avoid raw/ undercooked foods because there is a higher risk for food poisoning during pregnancy

Question 15

What are some recommendations from the First Nations Healthy Food Guideline?

Answer 15

• Increase the use of traditional foods by protecting, restoring and relying on them more.
• Decrease the use of sugar-sweetened beverages to help protect teeth and children’s health.
• Increase the intake of vegetables and fruits. Indeed, many traditional plants and animals are believed to have medicinal, nutrition and healing properties.
• Serve healthier foods in reasonable portions. There is a focus on reducing the amount of fat, sugar and salt. Also, the concept of a balanced plate can help with portioning meals.
• Increase the number of community gardens to both provide nutritious food and bring the community together.

Question 16

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Answer 16

Key messages:

• Follow a healthy diet across the lifespan.
• Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount.
• Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake.
• Shift to healthier food and beverage choices.
• Support healthy eating patterns for all

Question 17

Brazilian Dietary Guidelines 2014

• what is it?
• list 3 guidelines

Answer 17

• first country level food guide to focus more on food behaviour than a specific diet
• inspired the new Canadian food guide
  Guidelines
• use whole foods and limit the consumption of processed and ultra processed foods
• eat regular meals in appropriate environments and in company whenever possible
• be critical of food advertisements and marketing

Question 18

How has Canadian Food Policy changed the food we consume?

Answer 18

• Reduce sodium content in prepackaged foods
• Fortify milk and margarine with vitamin D to combat Canadian deficiency
• Eliminate artificially produced trans fats from food supply

Question 19

required components of a Canadian food label (6)

Answer 19

• common name of the food
• net quantity
• name and address of producer and/or distributor
• date marking (best before date)
• ingredients list
• nutrient facts box

Question 20

How has the ingredients list changed on a Canadian food label?

Answer 20

• minimum type height requirement
• black font
• bolded titles
• grouping of sugar based ingredients
• white or neutral background
• bullets or commas to separate ingredients

Question 21

How has the nutrient facts box changed on a Canadian Food label?

Answer 21

• calories are prominently displayed
• serving sizes are prominently displayed
• % of daily value for sugar is displayed
• exact amounts are shown (potassium, calcium, and iron)
• vitamin A and C are no longer displayed
• footnote included about % of daily value

Question 22

What are the different claims companies can make about food?

Answer 22

• food composition claim
• health claim (disease reduction and function claims)
• nutrient content claim

Question 23

What is classified as a natural health product (NHP)? What group regulates these products?

Answer 23

• vitamins, minerals, multivitamins, probiotics, amino acids, essential fatty acids, homeopathic and traditional medicines
• Regulated by the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate

Question 24

What risks are associated with natural health products?

Answer 24

• Risks: could contain incorrect ingredients
• claims may not be fully supported by evidence
• may promote unwanted side effects like allergic reactions
• negative interactions with other NHPs and prescription drugs

Question 25

What is the approval process like for natural health products?

Answer 25

• Must be safe, effective, and appropriately labelled
• Must provide safety and efficacy evidence to the government to get licence
  (clinical trials, studies, publications, list of ingredients and source, strength, dose, recommended uses)
• Once approved will get a natural product number (NPN) or homeopathic medicine number (DIN-HM)

Question 26

What is the labelling requirements for NHPs (8)?

Answer 26

• product name
• net quantity
• product licence number
• recommended dose
• medicinal ingredients
• non medicinal ingredients
• warning/ caution statement
• storage conditions

Question 27

Discuss menu labelling

Answer 27

• no Canada wide regulation on restaurants and nutritional info on menus
• American chains must have menu labelling if they have 20+ restaurants

Question 28

Discuss: Ontario’s Healthy Menu Choice Act 2015

• history
• purpose
• focus
• stipulates?
• statement

Answer 28

• First province to enact menu-labelling legislation as outlined in their HMCA
• Purpose: help people make informed decisions that would reduce risk of disease
• Focus: calorie information
• Stipulates that food service places with 20+ locations in Ontario must display calories on their menus along with a contextual statement
• Statement: “adults and youth (13+) need an average of 2k calories a day and children need 1.5k calories a day; individual needs vary”

Question 29

discuss the Informed Dining Program

Answer 29

• 2012
• Voluntary menu-labelling program beginning in BC then rolling out nationwide in 2013
• if a restaurant had the Informed Dining label then nutritional info is available upon request

Question 30

What has research shown about voluntary vs mandatory food labelling?

Answer 30

• No significant difference between consumers noticing nutritional info if there was the informed dining program compared to having no programs at all
• Consumers are 2x more likely to notice the calorie labelling on menus at places with Ontario’s mandatory program, when an establishment had no program or used the IDP, only 12% of patrons said nutrition info influenced their food choices
• When calories are labelled on the menu, 38% of patrons said that the info influenced their food purchase
  Conclusions:
• people are more likely to notice nutritional information if it is prominently displayed.
• when nutrition information is prominently displayed on menus, it can influence the choices that consumers make