Nutrition Recommendations: The Report of the Scientific Review Committee

Arlene Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

Canada’s Food Guide (established in 1942 as Canada’s Official Food
Rules) has been revised in both name and content over the years. The
last major revision occurred in 1982. Since then, knowledge of dietary
requirements has increased, and food consumption patterns have continued
to evolve. Today, the major Canadian nutritional concerns are obesity
and chronic diseases influenced by diet, such as heart disease and
cancer. It was necessary to develop up-to-date recommendations to
promote and maintain health, and to reduce the risk of nutrition-related
diseases.

In 1987, Health and Welfare Canada established two committees to review
the national nutrition guidelines. The first, the Scientific Review
Committee, reviewed the scientific evidence from a public-health
perspective and revised the current nutrition recommendations, including
the Recommended Nutrient Intakes. The result—Nutrition
Recommendations—presents the newest data and the recommendations’
scientific rationale.

The second committee—the Communications/Implementation
Committee—was responsible for developing consumer advice and
implementation strategies that would embody the revised Nutrition
Recommendations.

Nutrition Recommendations presents the desired goals of the Canadian
diet with a balanced approach in mind. It deals with dietary patterns
that provide nutrients in recommended amounts, while minimizing the risk
of chronic diseases. The overriding consideration is the reality that
the whole diet, not individual nutrients, should be considered when
planning daily food consumption.

As well as discussing energy intake, macronutrients (carbohydrates,
lipids, and proteins), vitamins, and minerals, this book offers
information on fibre, cholesterol, electrolytes, and water.
Recommendations are also made concerning some of the non-nutrients
(e.g., artificial sweeteners, alcohol, aluminum, and caffeine), since
they too have been implicated in ill health.

This book is absolutely essential for any working nutritionist to
assess the adequacy of an individual’s dietary regimen. Not only are
the recommended nutrient intakes summarized, the rationale underlying
recommendations for various population groups is presented. The
challenge remains for nutritionists to convince governments, the food
industry, the food service sector, and the general public to incorporate
these recommendations into their operations, so that Canadians can make
healthier food choices.