Health Committee on Feb. 8th, 2011

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Dr. Doig, you mentioned the U.K. where they use the traffic light system to help people to identify more quickly the nutritional value of various products. Could you expand a little on how that works?

[Dr. Anne Doig]

Thank you for that question.

The idea is that some of the nutrition labelling information currently provided on packaging is perhaps a little difficult to understand. Providing people with information that says that this meets 12% of your recommended daily allowance for X nutrient doesn't compute for people in terms of planning their eating throughout the day. Instead, you could have something that identifies perhaps five categories of nutrition information and then say red light, yellow light, green light. A product might have a green light for its sodium concentration but at the same time receive a yellow light for calories and a red light for transfats. You would label the outside of the package.

I mean, if I had my way, we would get rid of processed and pre-made food altogether, and everybody would buy natural food. But since we have a culture that is used to eating things that are made for it and produced ahead of time, one of the things we're looking for is an easy way for people to visually get the information they need so that they don't have to have a grade ten equivalent in chemistry or nutrition to understand the nutrition information on the package. Make it simple so that people understand what it is they're buying.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you.

Ms. Bossé, at the end of your presentation, you said that there is still “much work to be done”, but that “we are on the right track”. Based on the current trend, how long could it take to reach our objectives?

[Judith Bossé]

It’s hard to say. But we know very well that changing the habits of a society can take a long time. When the fight against smoking started, it took 20 years for a mass social movement to finally develop .

At the rate we are going now, and if we can create social movements, it is hard to know how long it will take for trends to stabilize and take root.

Inequality issues obviously have to be taken into consideration. We could create trends that might increase inequality if we don’t pay attention to the way programs and policies are implemented.

I can’t tell you how long it will take us to get there. Next year, we definitely want to call on various sectors— traditional, professional and non-traditional—to make a commitment and take action.

We need all sectors to work together on the nutritional aspect, as well as the social and physical aspects, so that people become more active both in their recreational time and their lives in general, and so that they can make the right nutritional choices, regardless of the social or cultural class they belong to.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

So you think that change...

Go ahead, Ms. Mildon. I will ask my question after you.

[Barb Mildon]

Thank you very much.

I just wanted to add to the comments already that another important factor is what happens in terms of school health nursing. Unfortunately, we're seeing a trend that school health nursing is not as prevalent as it used to be. Yet school health nurses can work with school boards to set policies board-wide, they can be involved directly in obesity prevention programs, and they can of course advise on physical health and activities.

The notion of school health nursing as a factor in all of the other things that have been brought to bear today I think is another one we need to keep in mind.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Ms. Bossé, do you think that the work that needs to be done to raise awareness and to trigger a change in habits for a healthy lifestyle will be as significant as the work done in the fight against smoking? That’s the example you used. Is 20 years a reasonable timeframe? In terms of developing healthy lifestyle choices, meaning physical activity and healthy eating, are changes in the way of thinking and in habits as significant or more significant than they were for smoking?

[Judith Bossé]

Obviously, with tobacco, no quantity is acceptable whereas, when we talk about healthy weight and activities aimed at staying healthy, we are dealing with an evolutionary process. Problems are much more complex. Are we talking about 20 years? I hope not.

I hope we will start seeing downward trends or trends that will stabilize over the next 5 to 10 years. This will clearly require sustained efforts across sectors, leadership from governments and the various players in civil society or home life.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Thank you.

Ms. Leslie.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of you for your contributions to this.

My first question is for the Public Health Agency. I think the built environment is a key component of healthy living, especially when we're considering physical activity. We've heard about walkable communities and access to recreation facilities and good public transportation systems. I'm wondering if the Public Health Agency or the federal government are collaborating with provinces and territories to look at ways of incorporating public health into community design.

[Judith Bossé]

Yes, this is exactly what we're doing. We're communicating with FPTs, but at the federal level we're also working with Transport Canada. We're at the early stage of working with other government departments and with provinces.

I will just mention the age-friendly community, which is basically a physical-social environment. We had the participation of seniors, so it reflects what their needs are. It's looking carefully at that urban environment. It's looking at social support in a way that would maximize people's ability to thrive and be active.

There are already 300 municipalities in Canada, in five provinces, that are aiming to develop further uptake by communities of this urban design and social support. We are promoting that, and we'll be looking at how an age-friendly community can make seniors more healthy. The design is actually for healthy lives.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

So there are the age-friendly communities, and I understand that project. And there is also consultation and collaboration with provinces and territories beyond the age-friendly?

[Judith Bossé]

The age-friendly is one concept. But since September, when we signed the framework for action to promote healthy weights, we have been looking more at supporting environments. And supporting environments have a part, which is urban planning.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

What would some of the recommendations be? If you're working with provinces or municipalities, what are some of the things you're trying to support?

[Judith Bossé]

At this stage?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

It's too soon?

[Judith Bossé]

It's a bit too soon, because we're looking at existing policy. We're looking at an inventory of what FPTs have. The first idea is to look at what we have and what our plans are, so as to influence each other in the uptake. There is policy, best practices, and the promotion of these best practices.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Is the Public Health Agency also doing this with first nations communities?

[Judith Bossé]

We are working with the first nations and Inuit health branch in Health Canada for the on-reserve. And we're working with the territories, the people living in the territories. It's not looking just at urban areas; it's looking at remote areas as well.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Thanks for the update.

Ms. Mildon.

[Barb Mildon]

I'd like to add to what's already been spoken of. Number one, we want to commend recent federal initiatives such as the infrastructure Canada program that was introduced in 2009. It allows dedicated funding for building and improving recreational facilities. That is important.

As to what can be done from an urban planning perspective, the funding of infrastructure initiatives such as bicycle paths, safe walking paths, and access to waterways would be practical ways to increase physical activity.

With respect to our aboriginal communities, we know they often are dealing with unsafe playgrounds, which is as big an issue as not having a playground. It's important to pay attention to the condition the playgrounds are in.

Thanks.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Madame Granger.

[Lucie Granger]

Thank you. If I may, in answer to your question on environments conducive to physical activity and the importance of calling upon various groups, I would like to tell you that there is currently a pilot project in Quebec whose goal is to confirm that municipalities can use urban planning regulations to restrict the proliferation of fast food areas around schools.

We realize that urban planning regulations can be used for this purpose and there are legal foundations that allow us to move forward. There are three municipalities, Baie-Saint-Paul, Lavaltrie and Gatineau, which are exploring different options in terms of urban planning regulations, in order to be able to retain the acquired rights. But all stakeholders in society may, at one time or another, be called upon to play an active role and contribute to the creation of healthy and safe environments.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Is this pilot project with the cities supported by the provincial government?