Center for Communications, Health and the Environment

Spring/Summer 2003

Vol. 11, Issue 1

Can a New Diet-Exercise Paradigm
Combat The Chronic-Disease Pandemic?

WHO/FAO Tackle Diet-Disease Epidemic
by Dr. Derek Yach, Executive Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, and Dr. Pekka Puska, Director, Noncommunicable Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, World Health Organization, Geneva

Calorie- and fat-laden diets, as well as sedentarism, are major culprits in modern-day chronic-disease pandemic.

"Less saturated fats, sugar and salt, [and] more fruit, vegetables and physical exercise [are] needed to counter cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity," concludes a joint expert consultation of the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) in a report on diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Released March 3, 2003, these updated recommendations are based on analysis of the best available evidence and the collective judgment of 30 experts. They are aimed at alleviating the increasing global burden of chronic diseases that the experts attribute to rapid changes in diet and lifestyle accompanying urbanization, economic development and market globalization in recent decades, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition.

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Worldwide Obesity Epidemic Tied To Urbanization, Technological Change
by Barry M. Popkin, Professor of Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The incidence of obesity and noncommunicable diseases is up worldwide, and increasing urbanization and technological change are the main catalysts for this remarkably rapid, and decidedly dangerous, rise.

Both developing and industrialized countries are battling obesity.

In countries as diverse as the United States, Mexico, Egypt and South Africa, levels of obesity and related co-morbidities, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, currently affect 25 to 50 percent of the population. A "nutrition transition," or shift in diet, physical activity, health and nutrition, is the culprit, and can be traced to higher incomes, the influence of mass media and food marketing, and changes in the nature of work and leisure.

The Nutrition Transition
Urban dwellers have vastly different lifestyles than rural residents. And their alternate patterns of food demand and time allocation have an enormous effect on diet, physical activity and overall health.

The urban diet. Urban residents obtain a much higher proportion of energy from fats and sweeteners, and eat greater amounts of animal products than do rural residents, even in the poorest areas of low-income countries. In China, for example, 38.2 percent of the energy intake of urban adults is derived from fat, compared to 18.7 percent for rural adults. Urbanites consume a more diversified

Get the PDF] [see full article...]

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CECHE Center for Communications, Health and the Environment
Spring/Summer 2003	Vol. 11, Issue 1
Can a New Diet-Exercise Paradigm Combat The Chronic-Disease Pandemic?
Return to the Monitor front Page For more information on CECHE and its programs visit CECHE's Homepage CECHE Chairman Sushma Palmer Comments on This Quarter's Topics Action, not Reports, Needed to Reverse Diet, Nutrition Woes The "5 A Day" Campaign: Are Americans Listening? Sedentarism Runs Rampant Worldwide South Indian Reproductive Health Tied to Cultural Roots Democracy and Health Go Hand in Hand Guidelines Dictate Lifestyle Changes for Americans WHO Is Central to Fighting NCDs Download a complete Monitor (PDF) Please tell me when the next issue is out! subscribe unsubscribe This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.	WHO/FAO Tackle Diet-Disease Epidemic by Dr. Derek Yach, Executive Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, and Dr. Pekka Puska, Director, Noncommunicable Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, World Health Organization, Geneva
	Calorie- and fat-laden diets, as well as sedentarism, are major culprits in modern-day chronic-disease pandemic. "Less saturated fats, sugar and salt, [and] more fruit, vegetables and physical exercise [are] needed to counter cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity," concludes a joint expert consultation of the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) in a report on diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Released March 3, 2003, these updated recommendations are based on analysis of the best available evidence and the collective judgment of 30 experts. They are aimed at alleviating the increasing global burden of chronic diseases that the experts attribute to rapid changes in diet and lifestyle accompanying urbanization, economic development and market globalization in recent decades, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition. Get the PDF][see full article...] Worldwide Obesity Epidemic Tied To Urbanization, Technological Change by Barry M. Popkin, Professor of Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill The incidence of obesity and noncommunicable diseases is up worldwide, and increasing urbanization and technological change are the main catalysts for this remarkably rapid, and decidedly dangerous, rise. Both developing and industrialized countries are battling obesity. In countries as diverse as the United States, Mexico, Egypt and South Africa, levels of obesity and related co-morbidities, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, currently affect 25 to 50 percent of the population. A "nutrition transition," or shift in diet, physical activity, health and nutrition, is the culprit, and can be traced to higher incomes, the influence of mass media and food marketing, and changes in the nature of work and leisure. The Nutrition Transition Urban dwellers have vastly different lifestyles than rural residents. And their alternate patterns of food demand and time allocation have an enormous effect on diet, physical activity and overall health. The urban diet. Urban residents obtain a much higher proportion of energy from fats and sweeteners, and eat greater amounts of animal products than do rural residents, even in the poorest areas of low-income countries. In China, for example, 38.2 percent of the energy intake of urban adults is derived from fat, compared to 18.7 percent for rural adults. Urbanites consume a more diversified Get the PDF] [see full article...]
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