1977 Dietary Recommendations — forty years on

Introduction Since 1977, the dietary recommendations in Canada and the US have been for people to consume a diet with limited fat and where ”complex carbohydrates” (starches) comprise the main source of calories. Unfortunately, this has not been without consequence when it comes to rates of child and adult overweight and obesity, and Type 2 … Read more

Canada’s Food Guide — an Epidemiological Experiment Gone Wrong?

In 1972 the prevalence of obesity (BMI > 30) in those over 19 years old in Canada was only 10% but by 2011, it was 26%. In 1972 <8% of men were obese whereas obesity rates have TRIPLED in men since then and also increased for women. In this blog I tackle how changes in the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide has paralleled these huge increases in obesity statistics.