The Ministry of Health in Brazil hopes to reduce obesity with a proposed new food guide that is simple but innovative, and very different from those of Canada and other nations. Instead of talking about nutrients, the Brazil guide talks about meals, how to make them and eat them, and it urges people to be critical of advertising for processed foods.
Canada has a colour-coded food guide which puts foods into four groups: vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, meat and alternatives. It outlines portion sizes and how many portions should be eaten each day. In spite of the guidelines, obesity in Canada is increasing.
‘A crisis to face’
“25 per cent of Canadians are obese, so we definitely have a crisis to face,” says Jean-Claude Moubarac, a researcher at the University of Montreal who was on the University of Sao Paulo team developing Brazil’s new guidelines. He thinks Canadians could benefit from some of the team’s ideas.
‘Make and eat fresh foods’
Make fresh foods the basis of your diet, urges the Brazilian guideline. Grains, pulses, meat, fish and eggs should be cooked at home from scratch . They should be made with limited amounts of sugar, salt and fat which interfere with biological mechanisms that let us know when we have had enough food. The guide says to limit or avoid entirely ready-to-consume foods and drink products.
‘Eat with frends, family’
The Brazilian guide also suggests how to eat, saying people should take the time to prepare meals together, to avoid eating in stressful situations, and to enjoy meals with friends and family. Studies have shown that in such situations people tend to eat less than they do when eating alone or on the run, says Moubarac.
People should eat at regular mealtimes and pay attention to what they are eating, and not multitask, he adds. Moubarac acknowledges this may be difficult for Canadians who tend to have very busy lives.
‘A challenge’ for Canadians
“Even if it’s a challenge …(for) Canadians to put more time into cooking I think it’s a necessary approach because we have to face this crisis of obesity.”
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