Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Dhalla raised the issue of Yoni Freedhoff. Can somebody confirm for me whether he actually appeared before the committee? Okay. So it was his presentation that you referred to. I referred to it the last time as well.
He raises some very good questions about energy in and energy out. In fact, I asked that question to the Health Canada officials at the last meeting on this matter. So his views are certainly important.
I also asked the question because he sent us an e-mail from Boston, where he was attending the Obesity Society's annual meeting. He had brought along Health Canada's food guide and asked Dr. Walter Willett, who is another expert and chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, to comment on fats.
Again, he's raising some very good issues, and I agree with that, but the purpose of the committee is to address the issue of childhood obesity, not to redraft the Canada food guide. While I agree that what I heard about the Canada food guide--which is a small part of what we're trying to accomplish here in addressing childhood obesity--causes me some concerns, I have very grave doubts that this committee has a mandate to redraft the Canada food guide. We probably all agree that it would be a worthwhile and interesting pursuit if we had time to study it, but it's beyond the mandate of the committee at this stage.
I know members were concerned about having a few extra meetings to hear witnesses who want to appear to discuss the childhood obesity issue. I fail to see, with all due respect, the advantage we would gain from trying to get the Canada food guide here at committee prior to its release so we could somehow redraft it. I fail to see that we actually have the time or the mandate to address that. Therefore, I encourage honourable members to consider that.
We have heard about the extensive consultations Health Canada has undergone on the food guide, whether we agree with it or not, in order to get to this point. I would ask members to consider that in voting on this issue.