These conclusions represent a rather abrupt awakening for Canadians, who are comforted in the belief that their diet, if not perfect, remains at least of better quality than that of their southern neighbors, said study leader Michel Lucas.
At some point you have to wake up, said Mr. Lucas, a professor at the University of Laval School of Medicine and a researcher at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval research center. Food quality is like one of the number one killers of chronic diseases.
Michel Lucas worked with researchers from Sherbrooke University and Montreal University.
Photo: Courtesy of Laval University
Studies using the Canadians’ Diet Quality Index, which reflects the overall quality of food choices compared to Canadian Food Guide recommendations, had previously concluded that the quality of Canadians’ diet was about 20 percentage points higher than that of Americans .
Alternative Food Quality Index
Instead, Professor Lucas and his colleagues used the Alternative Food Quality Index commonly used in the United States. Researchers analyzed data from the 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Health Surveys, which included 35,107 and 20,487 people, respectively.
In 2004, the researchers found, this index was 36.5 out of 100 in Canada, compared to 34.9 in the United States. In 2015, the index in Canada was 39.0, compared to 37.1 in 2010-2011 south of the border.
The index in Canada represents a drop of 20 to 30 points compared to what was calculated using the old index.
It’s not the same note, it’s not the same score, Mr Lucas pointed out. Granted, we’re a little taller than what Americans can have, but it’s not a factor and a half or two. We’re two points apart.
A mix of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Photo: gettyimages/istockphoto/AlexRaths
The alternative nutritional quality index, according to a press release, is calculated from data that associate the consumption of certain foods with a lower or higher risk of disease or death.
Eat fruits and vegetables
It is therefore positively linked to the consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, legumes, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, it is negatively associated with the consumption of sugary drinks, fruit juices, red meat, cold cuts and salt.
The scale includes six positive components, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, and four negative components, such as meat and sausage consumption, Lucas said. Each level is good for 10 points, for a maximum total of 100.
“The problem with food, he said, isn’t necessarily what people eat, but more importantly, what people don’t eat. »
— A quote from Michel Lucas
Consumption of meat, deli meats and sugary drinks continues to improve, Mr. Lucas continued, and that’s not really the problem. It’s really what people don’t have on their plates, namely vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes, long-chain fatty acids that come from fish, said the researcher, who adds moderate alcohol consumption to the list.
The long-chain fatty acids from fish are beneficial.
Photo: gettyimages/istockphoto/zi3000
In recent years, he added, both the United States and Canada have seen improvements in food quality, but only among wealthy and well-educated people. That of the less fortunate has stayed the same, and I think it’s only going to get worse as food prices rise, Lucas said.
not all the same
For this improvement to continue, we need to stop thinking that we are all equal in the choices we need to make when it comes to food.
If we look at countries with superior food quality [à celle du Canada], these are countries where eating vegetables is part of a culinary tradition, he said. But you have to develop those skills and the ability to act. We’re not all the same in that. If you’re lucky enough to try something done right and love it, it’s a lot more worth going back to.
In this regard, we see that the food quality of immigrants in Canada is higher than that of non-immigrants, as they often come from cultures where fruit and vegetable consumption is well established, Ms. Lucas added.
The results of this study were published in the journal Nutrients. Researchers from the Universities of Sherbrooke and Montreal also worked together.