CMAJ • April 22, 2008; 178 (9). doi:10.1503/cmaj.1080020.
© 2008 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, N., MD
Related Collections
Right arrow Other health policy
Right arrow Other nutrition & metabolism

Letters

Health Check program

Norm Campbell, MD

Canadian Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control, President, Blood Pressure Canada, Calgary, Alta.

One of the major tools to reduce the prevalence of hypertension and improve hypertension control is to reduce the amount of sodium added to our foods during processing. Recently we estimated that hypertension could be prevented in 1 million Canadians by reducing sodium additives to a healthy level.1 However, a reduction in sodium additives will not happen overnight. A collaborative and progressive approach to reducing sodium consumption by 2020 was recently endorsed by 17 Canadian health organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Blood Pressure Canada.

Education of the public is critical, as is the development of foods with less sodium. The Health Check program of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has already resulted in significant amounts of sodium being removed from many foods. As a result of Health Check's work with the Campbell Soup Company, for example, Blood Pressure Canada recently awarded the company a certificate of excellence for sodium reduction.

Health care practitioners, the food industry and health groups like the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada need to continue to work together to make a healthier diet a reality, and Health Check is an important program that is taking us toward that goal. Health advocates need to focus their energies on companies that continue to add large quantities of salt and other harmful substances to our foods rather than on organizations striving to make Canadians healthier.2

Footnotes

Competing interests: Norm Campbell received travel assistance from McCain Foods to speak at the regional meeting of the Atlantic Dietitians of Canada in 2007. There was no contact with McCain Foods about the talk or its content.


REFERENCES

  1. Joffres MR, Campbell NRC, Manns B, et al. Estimate of the benefits of a population-based reduction in dietary sodium additives on hypertension and its related health costs in Canada. Can J Cardiol 2007;23:437-43.[Medline]
  2. Truscott A. Checking up on Health Check. CMAJ 2008;178:386-7.[Free Full Text]



eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Health Check
Irwin Corobow
CMAJ, 23 Apr 2008 [Full text]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, N., MD
Related Collections
Right arrow Other health policy
Right arrow Other nutrition & metabolism