The research of the Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Health Inequalities aims to reveal and address the deep inequalities in nutrition and health among social and cultural groups within the same society, inequalities in food insecurity, nutritional problems and diet-related noncommunicable diseases that are often masked by the deceptive reported national averages. Most research is done to support health and food justice among marginalized populations, whether they be in low- and middle-income countries, or in high-income countries.
In Canada, Indigenous people, immigrants and refugees, to name a few, experience very different realities compared to the general population. For example, when food insecurity reaches 12% of the general Canadian population, a very high figure in itself, it reaches 48% among First Nations peoples living on reserve. In addition, the health of these vulnerable groups suffers from the prevailing food systems that limit access to food that's healthy for humans and the planet and often make foods rich in fat, sugar and salt the simplest and most economical choice.
By studying, with the populations concerned, local food systems respectful of the environment and of cultural and social preferences, and by measuring the potential of these systems in the fight against food insecurity and chronic diseases, the chair proposes, through its research, avenues for bridging these glaring gaps and preventing harmful repercussions on the quality of life and longevity. At the same time, these research projects help promote solutions to nutritional and human health problems that are environmentally regenerative and promote ecological sustainability.
In Canada, Indigenous people, immigrants and refugees, to name a few, experience very different realities compared to the general population. For example, when food insecurity reaches 12% of the general Canadian population, a very high figure in itself, it reaches 48% among First Nations peoples living on reserve. In addition, the health of these vulnerable groups suffers from the prevailing food systems that limit access to food that's healthy for humans and the planet and often make foods rich in fat, sugar and salt the simplest and most economical choice.
By studying, with the populations concerned, local food systems respectful of the environment and of cultural and social preferences, and by measuring the potential of these systems in the fight against food insecurity and chronic diseases, the chair proposes, through its research, avenues for bridging these glaring gaps and preventing harmful repercussions on the quality of life and longevity. At the same time, these research projects help promote solutions to nutritional and human health problems that are environmentally regenerative and promote ecological sustainability.
