From nutritious foods that fill you up faster to new weight-loss medications to government food taxes, obesity experts predict maintaining a healthy weight may get much easier during the next few decades.

Leading academics and researchers are set to challenge the way Canadians think about saturated fat, sodium and sugar and explore the pitfalls posed by the "nutrient-focused" approach used in dietary guidelines at a series of cross-Canada symposia titled, "Straight Talk about Nutrition Guidelines".

More than 30,000 healthier product choices have been made available to consumers between 2002 and 2013 according to the 2014 Health & Wellness Survey released today by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). The new choices represent an additional 10,000 in just the last four years.

Penford Food Ingredients used SupplySide West to launch GumPlete® systems, a synergistic blend of starches and gums that can improve texture and allow for a clean flavor release more effectively than using an individual gum or starch independently.

LiteFoods, Inc. says its new Neusolite™ reduces fat in fried foods by as much as 60%. Neusolite is a patented two-stage pre-soak system that uses all-natural ingredients to keep the oil from fried foods in the fryer.

The researchers found that people who do not taste fat in food are more likely to overeat and therefore become obese.

Cheese, hotdogs, whole and 2% milk are among the top foods and beverages contributing to saturated fat and sodium intakes of toddlers and preschoolers.

The researchers said that the method enabled them to successfully reduce the fat content in a model white sauce from 10% to 2% without compromising on the taste and texture of the product.

The study's author concludes it has not been proven that saturated fat itself may increase the risk of heart disease.

Adults who eat a 125g serving of yogurt four or five times a week have a 28% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those who eat none.