Saskatchewan Nutrition Survey Shows Decline in Fat Intake
Posted March 03, 2000
Tweet
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 3, 2000 | 2000-03-04-OTHER |
Saskatchewan Nutrition Survey Shows Decline in Fat Intake
A collaborative project of the U of S, Health Canada and Saskatchewan Health, the study involved interviews with 1,800 randomly selected adults aged 18 to 74 in 11 Saskatchewan locations during 1993 and 1994. (Data processing difficulties and an investigation of the low response rate delayed release of the findings.)
"Saskatchewan residents are doing quite well in terms of their fat intake and they should be congratulated for that," said University of Saskatchewan nutrition professor Alison Stephen.
On average, fat made up almost 34 per cent of total calories consumed by those surveyed. That's close to national nutrition guidelines which say fat should make up no more than 30 per cent of daily caloric intake, and it's down significantly from the 40-per-cent fat intake reported in a 1972 national Nutrition Canada survey.
"This drop in fat intake implies major dietary change," said Stephen. "Saskatchewan residents reduced their fat intake on average by about 20 grams per day which is about equivalent to four teaspoons of butter."
Total daily caloric intake was also down, a finding which reflects similar studies over the past 20 years as people have reduced their fat intake. But low food intake is associated with low or inadequate intake of vital nutrients, Stephen noted.
"We used to be obsessed with fat, but now we're obsessed with not gaining weight," said Stephen.
"The result is that often we're not getting enough of certain nutrients such as iron, zinc,
fibre, folate and others. And we're not eating enough food partly because we're not doing enough exercise. If we were more physically active, we could eat enough to get adequate nutrition. This nutrient deficiency is going to become more critical as we continue to lead sedentary lives."
The study is part of a larger federal-provincial initiative to gain information about nutrient intakes and dietary patterns of adult Canadians. Six experts from across Canada have been invited to evaluate the data and make recommendations.
Co-investigators with Stephen were: Dr. Bruce Reeder from the College of Medicine's department of community health and epidemiology; and Shawna Berenbaum from the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.
Among the findings:
- Half the women surveyed who were considered normal weight (body
mass index
20-25) were making food choices to lose weight.
- One-quarter of the women aged 18 to 34 were underweight. Of this
group, 15
per cent said they were avoiding or choosing foods to lose weight - even
though they were already underweight (body mass index less than 20).
- One in five Saskatchewan residents surveyed had a BMI of more than 30
which is considered obese. The proportion of obese individuals rose to 30
per cent for all age groups of men over age 34 age and for women over age
65. Obesity rates were highest among people with less than a high school
education.
- In an effort to reduce fat intake, residents have reduced their
consumption of red meat, the study found.
- On average, only 20 per cent of residents' iron intake came from meat,
poultry and fish, a major drop from the 1972 national survey where average
iron intake from these sources was about 35 per cent.
The result is that consumption of heme iron, the type of iron most readily absorbed by the body, has dropped. Heme iron is found only in red meat, fish and poultry. "If we don't get much iron in a useable form, then we have low energy and we don't want to exercise," Stephen said.
On the whole, Saskatchewan residents are making healthy food choices and are consuming a diet very similar in nutrient content to that of residents in Quebec and Nova Scotia where similar studies were conducted in 1990 and 1989 respectively.
Each interview subject was asked to provide 24-hour recall of food items and quantities consumed. There was also a demographics questionnaire. Body and weight measurements were taken to determine body mass index.
Interviews were conducted by undergraduate students in the U of S bachelor of science in nutrition program.
The study cost less than $400,000. Funding was provided by Health Canada's National Health Research and Development Program, the Saskatchewan Health Research Board (now Health Services Utilization and Research Commission), and the Dairy Bureau of Canada (now Dairy Farmers of Canada).
For more information, contact:
Prof. Alison Stephen
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5842
Dr. Bruce Reeder
College of Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-7934
