Ontario's Doctors Applaud Toronto Public Health Menu Labelling Initiative

TORONTO, Aug. 26, 2013 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors applaud Toronto Public Health's "Savvy Diner" initiative, which aims to help the public make more informed decisions when eating out by posting calorie and sodium amounts on restaurant menus.

Since 2009, Ontario's doctors have been leading the call for menu labelling to be adopted across the province.  Physicians are concerned about rising obesity rates, and the health dangers caused by too much dietary sodium.

Ontarians are well aware of the health problems that high sodium intake and obesity can cause. Approximately 60% of adults in Ontario are overweight or obese; almost one in three Canadian children is now overweight or obese; and 40% of Canadians either have or are at-risk of having high blood pressure.  Too much salt causes high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which contributes to the majority of strokes and roughly half of all cases of heart disease.  If we are going to tackle this health crisis and reduce the incidence of preventable chronic diseases in Ontario, the time for action is now.

A number of other jurisdictions have already moved to require nutritional information on menus.  Time and again, the people of Ontario have been told this type of information can't be made available to them. Yet, with the Savvy Diner program, 14 restaurants in Toronto have volunteered to provide calorie and sodium amounts.  We are encouraging more restaurants in the GTA - and all across Ontario - to follow suit.

Menu labelling provides consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about the food they and their children eat.  It is not the only solution to the health challenges presented by obesity or high blood pressure, but is essential to helping Ontarians make healthier choices.

Dr. Scott Wooder
President
Ontario Medical Association

SOURCE: Ontario Medical Association

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