Grant: Operating Grant: Programmatic Grants in Food and Health - LOI

Obesity is a complex problem resulting from both personal (e.g. lifestyle choices) and environmental (e.g. advertising of unhealthy foods) factors, thus requiring complex solutions. The percentage of Canadian adults and children who are overweight and obese has risen greatly over the past 25 years. Overweight and obesity increase risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Overweight and obesity also reduces the overall quality of life of a person's life, as well as the number of years that a person will live. Because of the diseases that overweight and obese people have, the amount of money spent on health care is also very high. We will: 1) look at the food supply (grocery stores and restaurants) and assess the nutritional quality of foods; 2) measure Canadians' opinions and responses to the food supply, such as the reasons for purchasing different types of food; 3) ask about the types and amounts of foods that Ontarians eat, so that we can measure the quality of their diet; 4) link what Ontarians are eating with information on health (medical records); and 5) work with a health economist to determine the health care costs due to a poor diet and obesity. Each study adds new information about how to improve personal health and the health of Canadians. This will allow us to make recommendations to government and other organizations on how they can help prevent and reduce overweight and obesity. We have created a group of scientists and representatives from government, health organizations (such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation), and professional organizations (such as Dietitians of Canada) who will work with us to communicate our findings to the public and health care professionals. They will also use our research to help develop programs and educational materials to improve the health of Canadians.