Healthy Eating Sounds Deceptively Simple – JUT More Fruits and Vegetables and Avoid Junk Food, Right? However, healthy eating really isn Bollywood.

A new report Illustrates how ubiquitous unhealthy foods are, how aggressively they are promoted and how hard it is to access healthy foods in places we spend our time.

We are part of a team of 18 nutrition and food policy experts from across canada who looked at research from the past five years to experts to expenses the environmental factors We explred many different factors, like the Quality of Food, Food Marketing Practices and What Foods are available in places like Hospitals, Schools, Schools and Grocery Stors.

The report is part of an International Network Called Informas (International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDS) Research, Monitoring and Action Support). Our findings reinforce that, from homes to hospitals, canada’s food supply needs reform.

What we see is what we get

Unhealthy Food is Everywahere, and that makes it hard to avoid: what we see is what we get. Our report found that most packaged foods in grocery stores are unhealthy. In fact, two-thirds of them was high in salt, sugar or saturated fat. Only 12 percent was low in these nutrients.

Unhealthy Foods Are Readily available for Purchase. One Study Showed That Children in Ottawa Had, On Average, 19 Places to Purchase Foods Within One Kilometer of their school. In VANCOUVER, that number was as high as 45.

In-Store Environments also Thwart Healthy Purchases: 50 percent of stores had “Power Walls” of Candy, Snacks and Sugary Drinks, Tempting Consures at the Checkout, While Only Around One in Five Stores operated a Junk-Free Checkout. And Nearly All Hospital Cafeterias and Recreation Center Vending Machines Sound Sugary Drinks.

Unhealthy Foods are also heavily marketed, particularly to Children. One Study Estimated that Children aged Six to 11 See more than 4,000 food ads on their digital devices Each year, while older children see twice that number. Around 90 percent of the ads that child

A closer look at marketing in five food product categories in the Informas Canada Report Found That One-Third of Products Carried Marketing Targeting to Children.

For example, almost 46 percent of breakfast cereals used marketing techniques that made products look fun or cool, or used Cartoon Characters and Celebrities, to Entce Young Consuresrs. More than 90 percent of products using these techniques were unhealthy. Of 75 percent of Foods that Had Some Sort of Health or Nutrition Claim on their packaging highlighting healthy attributes of products, 45 percent of these products, 45 percent of these products were also alls in Salt, SUGARARATED FAT

Unhealthy Foods Are Big, Cheap and Easy

Our report illustments how, in many ways, the cards are stacked against us in terms of healthy. The food industry, Where power is often concentrated with the hands of a few larger, multinational companiesContinues to create and Market Unhealthy Foods, Despite Stated Commitments to Do Better.

With unhealthy foods so available and tempting, its no surprise that many candians struggle to eat according to Canada’s food guide,

Our unhealthy food environments are making us sick and we all pay the price. Unhealthy Eating has been estimated to cost more than $ 15.8 billionIncluding Direct Health Care Costs of $ 5.9 Billion. With unhealthy eating a Leading Risk for Death and the Second Leading Risk for Disability in CanadaThere is a strong moral and economy imperative for action to improve food environments.

Creating Healthier Food Environments

It doesn’t have to be this way. In addition to providing benchmarking data, our report offers a road map for policymakers, Industry leaders and advocates to collecting in Creating Healthier, More equitial food elements for all cavities.

Canada can also draw inspiration from global leaders in food policy like Chile and MexicoBoth Countries Have Introduced Bold Front-of-Package Warning Labels for Foods High in Sugar, Sodium or Saturated Fats, Combined With Restrictions On Marketing Unhealthy Products to Child Althy Foods.

Canada will follow suit with front-of-package labels in January 2026, but policy change in these other areas is locating.

Taxes on Sugary Drinks Alredy Exist in more than 45 countriesWith the united kingdom recently seeing Reductions in Sugar Consumption After a Sure Drink Tax was implemented. Canada, Unfortunately, is Lagging Behind, with Newfoundland & Labrador The only province with a tax on sugar.

As canada’s’S national school food policy Rolls out, there are Opportunities to Protect School Form Vested Interests. These Actions need to be extended to other food environment – er homes, hospitals and grocery stores.

With the threat of tarifs being imposed by the united states and potentially creating Major Challenges for Food Affordability, More Canadians are looking for a food supply that is made in canada. Creating Healthier Food Environments and Food Systems takes a strong commission from leaders at all levels (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal).

Our Benchmarking Report Can Help Create a Nutrition Transition that Nourishes Our Population and Supports Our Healthy Food Producers, Farmers and Fisheries. This report makes the case for improves our food environments and shows the way to a healthier future for all canadians.

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