Northern doctor wants traditional diets in food guide

A doctor in northern Saskatchewan says the federal government should consider native communities in its Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

Ottawa recently launched a review of the guide. It was last updated in 1992, but there has been a lot of new research in recent years. Dr. James Irvine would like to see more emphasis on put on traditional foods in the latest version.

"It's not just store-bought foods," he says, "but respecting the traditional cultures and the country foods that are available and are highly valued in northern Canada."

The guide is supposed to help people learn which foods are nutritious and provide a balanced diet, but Irvine is not sure that message reaches the people who need it the most.

• WEBSITE: Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

As a Medical Health Officer with 20 years experience working in northern Saskatchewan, Irvine says people there struggle to cope with diet-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

He says Health Canada can help by producing a more inclusive food guide that helps people make better choices.

Health Canada welcomes the suggestions.

"Everyone can help us look at the Food Guide," says Mary Bush, who is in charge of the project. "Engage with us on what it needs to say and how it needs to communicate appropriately to Canadians."

The review will cost $3 million and is expected to take about two years to complete.