Heart disease and stroke are among the most common causes of death and disability in Canadians. As a doctor who commonly sees the personal and family despair, disability and death caused by heart disease, kidney disease and stroke, I have always strongly supported programs that prevent these illnesses and especially those that would also reduce health care costs. Unhealthy foods (those that are high in calories, fats, salt and free sugars) are roughly responsible for 1 in 3 deaths in Canada; is the major cause of Canadian children and adults becoming obese; and the best available data suggests such foods are the major cause of 8 in 10 people developing hypertension (6 million Canadians).
In my opinion, the federal government’s poor regulation of our food products is almost completely responsible for the massive burden of death, disability and health costs associated with unhealthy eating. The World Health Organization, United Nations and many scientific and health organizations have documented the types of policies and regulations we need to improve national eating patterns. [ read more…]
