The province has been given the grade of D for not providing children with enough healthy food options nearby and instead surrounding them with easy, unhealthy options.
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“In the last year, Alberta’s grades have gotten significantly worse for children’s food environments,” Kim Raine, professor in the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health, said.
The evaluation was part of Alberta’s 2016 Nutrition Report Card on Food Environments for Children and Youth.
Watch Below: Professor Kim Raine joined Global News Morning to talk about the findings, which shows there is an alarmingly high number of unhealthy choices that are easy for kids to access in places like schools and Rec centres.
“Healthy eating is more than an individual choice and is influenced by our environments,” Raine said.
“Put simply, our province is barely passing when it comes to providing healthy food environments for children and youth.”
What is most concerning to the group is the type of food and drink available at restaurants, supermarkets, schools, work sites and community sports and arts venues.
Alberta received an overall grade of D based on the following performance indicators:
- D for food availability within community recreational facilities, including a high proportion of unhealthy foods in concessions and vending machines.
- D for neighbourhood access to unhealthy food stores. More than 75 per cent of schools in Calgary and Edmonton have at least one convenience store or fast food restaurant within 500 metres. In 60 per cent of neighbourhoods, there are at least 10 times as many food outlets selling mostly unhealthy products than those selling healthy ones.
- F for composition of children’s food. This failing grade is due to a high prevalence of children’s cereals with high sugar content and few whole grains.
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The School of Public Health said poor food environments are linked to lower-quality diets in children, which can lead to health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Since 1980, there has been a three-fold increase in the proportion of children with obesity, according to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs Science and Technology.
“The time for action is now,” Raine stressed. “The research shows that Alberta is not making the healthy choice the easy choice for children and youth. We can do better.”
The report card has more details on other environmental factors, including communication, economic, social and political. It also has suggestions on how to improve these environments.
2016 Alberta Report Card Full Report by Anonymous QRCBjQd5I7 on Scribd
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