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One in five Canadians has metabolic syndrome which increases their risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. No wonder Canada’s Health minister Leona Aglukkaq along with other global leaders signed a United Nations (UN) declaration to help combat chronic diseases.  The international focus is on “processed foods, very high in salt, trans fats, and sugar”, which have become widely available around the world and “heavily marketed,” stated the UN.
The final UN declaration includes a “commitment to develop ways to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fats in processed foods and eliminate trans fats in those foods, through discouraging the production and marketing of foods that contribute to an unhealthy diet.” This statement will likely shape an international agenda for years to come.

Herein lies theopportunity for nutrition education and for improving dietary habits as a society and as individuals. What we eat matters. Read more about the UN declaration at: http://www.who.int/nmh/events/un_ncd_summit2011/en/