Integrating food policy with growing health and wellness concerns

To that end, University of Alberta researchers, at the request of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, undertook a literature review that addressed the following major areas: I. Part I consists of an overview of health and disease and the relationship between health and individual food consumption. [...] I. Overview of Health and Disease Issues Related to Individual Food Consumption Considerable research has been devoted to the relationship between the intake of individual food categories and the incidence of disease. [...] The differences between the 1990 and 2002 recommendations, highlighted in the full report, correspond to the evolving nature of the research base that links the two issues. [...] In order to promote healthier food choices, the WHO encourages governments to consider the use of market incentives for developing and marketing healthier foods, reducing the salt content of processed foods, restricting the hydrogenation of oils, and limiting the excess sugar content of beverages. [...] Groups such as the HSFC and the Dietitians of Canada have suggested that some aspects of the puzzle, such as overconsumption of less healthy foods, are issues that require the institution of stronger measures than the mere provision of public information.