Nutrition

Huron Perth Public Health employs registered dietitians and public health nutritionists to provide education and support to healthcare providers and community partners on nutrition-related topics. Contact us for:

  • information on nutrition programs and services (local, provincial, federal and international)
  • fact sheets and local nutrition resources
  • support to develop and implement healthy policies and environmental supports
  • making connections with other community programs, services, and registered dietitians

The public health dietitian does not provide individual medical advice.

Eating disorders

Eating disorders are a set of serious mental health conditions that can occur in individuals of all shapes and sizes. You can refer your patient to one of the services available to support individuals struggling with eating disorders and unhealthy weight control practices:

NutriStep

We encourage healthcare providers to use the NutriSTEP questionnaires for toddler and preschool nutrition screening. NutriSTEP is a 17-item questionnaire that parents can complete at home, or with your help. This can help identify concerns with:

  • Food and nutrient intake
  • Physical growth
  • Developmental and physical capabilities related to eating
  • Physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Growth charts

Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) encourages healthcare providers to use the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts for Canada to monitor growth patterns of infants, children, and adolescents. WHO charts support consistent practices in growth monitoring and assess patterns of linear growth and weight gain to support healthy child growth and development.

Changes in growth patterns warrant further assessment to determine if support or intervention would be beneficial.

Also, parents need support to understand normal growth and development. Over emphasis on weight and weight changes can result in harmful force feeding and weight-control practices.

Please contact Huron Perth Public Health if you would like more information or training in this area.

Using WHO growth charts

Check out the Dietitians of Canada – WHO Growth Charts Resources for Professionals for additional guidelines and resources.