Grant: Project Grant

The food environment has a major influence on dietary choices and is a critical factor in efforts to reduce rates of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. In Canada, the Healthy Eating Strategy contains a broad suite of policies that have potential to majorly influence the Canadian food environment. Monitoring the impact of such a strategy is essential. The proposed research builds on international efforts to monitor, benchmark and support polices and actions related to the food environment using an internationally-adopted monitoring framework with 12 'modules' (public sector policies, private sector policies, food composition, labelling, marketing, provision, retail, prices, trade and investment, population diet, physiological/metabolic risk factors, and health outcomes), to understand policy processes and monitor the food environment and downstream outcomes. The current study aims to prepare a comprehensive national report on the current food environment in Canada to evaluate changes in the food environment since the implementation of the Healthy Eating Strategy. This research project will collate and analyze existing data from the PAs/Co-As and collect additional data, as required, to apply established methods for each of the 12 modules. The project will apply a health equity lens to all modules to examine how environments may differentially impact disadvantaged populations. The results of this research will be a comprehensive national report that identifies the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the food environment in Canada. This research will support policy evaluation, and serve as a marker of accountability for forthcoming changes to the food environment as the Healthy Eating Strategy policies, regulations and programs unfold over the next 3 years. The study will contribute to a national evaluation in a critical policy area, and will further global efforts to improve food environments.