The number of people in Quebec who suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancer continues to increase each year1.
The overconsumption of foods high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, as well as ultra-processed foods in general, is a contributing factor to this phenomenont2, 3, 4 ,5.
Ultra-processed foods also have consequences for the environment. Associated with harmful agricultural practices, they contribute towater, air and soil pollution, in addition togenerating greenhouse gases during transport6. These are also overpackaged foods that generate significant amounts of plastic waste.
A quick survey of Quebecers’ dietary habits:
Our living environments greatly influence our choices and our lifestyle habits. Currently, our environments often have a negative impact on our ability to make healthy choices: foods of low nutritional value are highly promoted, easily available and generally inexpensive, while access to healthy foods is often insufficient.
In order to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases, it is important to focus on creating environments that encourage the population to make better choices for their health 18.
Better regulation of marketing on packaging.
Learn more
Means of fostering a healthy and sustainable food system.
The overconsumption of ultra-processed foods is concerning.
Municipalities have the power to promote their citizens’ health.
Start prevention early with schools that promote healthy lifestyle habits.
Food coupon to ensure access to nutritious food.
Santé Canada (2012). Système Canadien de surveillance des maladies chroniques (SCSMC). Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://sante-infobase.canada.ca/scsmc/outil-de-donnees/index?V=1&M=1&S=B&Y=2017
2 Organisation mondiale de la Santé. (2015). Directive : Apport en sucres chez l’adulte et l’enfant. Genève : OMS. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/ handle/10665/155735/WHO_NMH_NHD_15.2_fre.pdf
3 Plante C, Rochette L & C Blanchet. (2019). Les apports et les sources alimentaires de sucre, de sodium et de gras saturés chez les Québécois. (Collection : Regard sur l’alimentation des Québécois. Numéro 2). Québec : Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Québec. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://bit.ly/3qX4ESr
4 World Health Organization. (2021). WHO global sodium benchmarks for different food categories. Genève: OMS. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://apps.who.int/iris/ bitstream/handle/10665/341081/9789240025097-eng.pdf
5 Moubarac, J-C & Batal, M. (2016). La consommation d’aliments transformés et la qualité de l’alimentation au Québec. Montréal : TRANSNUT, Université de Montréal. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://bit.ly/3LzoA7b
6 Fardet, A & Edmond R. (2020). Ultra-Processed Foods and Food System Sustainability: What Are the Links?. Sustainability, 12(15), 6280. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156280
7 Moubarac JC. (2017). Ultra-processed foods in Canada: consumption, impact on diet quality and policy implications. Montréal: TRANSNUT, University of Montreal. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://bit.ly/3dDwDn1
8 Statistique Canada (2019). Consommation de fruits et de légumes, 2017. (No 82-625-X). Canada. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/fr/ pub/82-625-x/2019001/article/00004-fra.pdf?st=zYi5npro
9 Organisation Mondiale de la Santé. (2018). Alimentation saine. Genève : OMS. Repéré le 22 septembre au https:// www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
10 Imamura F, O’Connor L, Ye Z, Mursu J, Hayashino Y, Bhupathiraju SN & al. (2015). Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes: systematic review, meta-analysis, and estimation of population attributable fraction. BMJ. 2015;351.
11 Valenzuela MJ, Waterhouse B, Aggarwal VR, Bloor K & Doran T (2021). Effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on oral health: a systematic review and meta-analysis, European Journal of Public Health, 31(1):122–129.
12 Chazelas E, Srour B, Desmetz E, Kesse-Guyot E, Julia C, Deschamps V, & al. (2019). Sugary drink consumption and risk of cancer: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. BMJ, 2019;366.
13 Ruanpeng D, Thongprayoon C, Cheungpasitporn W & Harindhanavudhi T. (2017). Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages linked to obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 110(08):513–520
14 Plante C, Blanchet C &Rochette L. (2020). La consommation des Autres aliments et des boissons chez les Québécois. (Collection : Regard sur l’alimentation des Québécois. Numéro 4). Québec : Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Repéré le 22 septembre 2002 au https:// www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/2634_ consommation_autres_aliments_boissons.pdf
15 Malik, VS, & Hu, FB.(2019). Sugar-sweetened beverages and cardiometabolic health: An update of the evidence. Nutrients, 11(8), 1840. Repéré le 22 septmreb 2022 au https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081840
16 Plamondon L, Paquette M-C. (2017). La consommation de sucre et la santé. Fiche thématique. (Publication 2336). Québec : Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://bit.ly/3S4qHlP
17 Plante C, Rochette L & C Blanchet. (2019). Les apports et les sources alimentaires de sucre, de sodium et de gras saturés chez les Québécois. (Collection : Regard sur l’alimentation des Québécois. Numéro 2). Québec : Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Québec. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://bit.ly/3LBW0C7
18 Bouchard A-A, Farah R, Gagnon H, Lachance B, Lesage D, Mongeau L & Pageau M. (2010). Vision de la saine alimentation. Québec : La Direction des communications du ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec. Repéré le 22 septembre 2022 au https://publications.msss. gouv.qc.ca/msss/fichiers/2010/10-289-06F.pdf
