Community nutrition in Canada: an overview.

This paper provides an overview of the scope and diversity of community nutrition in Canada today and illustrates the many community organizations that include a nutrition component. The relationship of public health nutrition to the broader field of community nutrition is outlined, and health promotion concepts and strategies are described as a basis for community nutrition programs. Strategies such as education, mass communication/social marketing, advocacy, self-help/mutual aid, community organization, economic support, policy development/legislation, and environmental change are identified with some examples from programs in Canadian communities. Future directions are proposed as research, better surveillance and monitoring, more effective program evaluation, and a forum for the exchange of community nutrition information.