Healthy eating habits are inculcated at early stages of life before rigid attitudes develop amongst children towards various foods. Invariably the "toxic food environment" that confronts the children, especially the high pitch promotion of so called junk foods by the food industry containing too much of sugar, fat and salt, lures them with uncontrolled eating, eventually leading to obesity. True, the labeling information printed on each and every pack is supposed to guide the consumer regarding nutrition status of the contents on a per serving basis, but for majority of them it does not make much sense. Nutritionists and sociologists believe that if consumers are made to read the label more carefully and understand the significance of information contained therein, there is evidence to show that more healthy foods with high nutrient density are selected while shunning unbalanced and unhealthy ones. It is in this context that one has to appreciate the efforts of Canadian Government in allying with the food industry to enlighten the citizens there through a sustained campaign highlighting the significance of reading and understanding the food labels.
"By choosing food that is healthier for them, they'll be eating healthier, and of course if you're eating healthier, then of course you are going to have less problems with chronic disease down the line." The campaign is simple enough. It tells consumers to read the nutrition label and focus on foods with higher levels of nutrients they may want more of, such as fibre, calcium and vitamins A and C. It also warns consumers to avoid products that contain high levels of fat and sodium. "This initiative provides information to Canadians in a variety of ways to help them when choosing a food or deciding between products," said Nancy Croitoru, president of FCPC. "Using the per cent daily value is a quick way for consumers to know if a packaged food contains a little or a lot of a nutrient." The nutrition label campaign begins its rollout with messaging on consumer packaging, in magazines and online. Health Canada has set up a website to lead consumers through nutrition labels.In January, the campaign will move to television and social media".
Such campaigns are good in educating and persuading the consumers to go for foods containing high nutrients during their shopping trips but how far it will have a lasting impact is a matter of conjecture. A more appropriate course of action could be tackling this problem in the schools when the children are at impressionable age, capable of assimilation of the information more effectively that may lead to lasting habits. In a country like Canada where literacy is practically 100% it is easier to evolve school curriculum that will integrate learning about food and nutrition. In India most labels are printed in English while majority of the population cannot read or grasp the significance of label information. Probably GOI should consider pictorial presentation mode for targeting those who are English illiterates. Schools can also be a fertile ground for creating awareness about good foods and their nutritional superiority. .
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