The global face of nutrition: what can governments and industry do?

Investment in agricultural research and major developments in the technology of food production have led to dramatic increases in food availability, not only in industrialized nations but also across the globe. In addition, significant gains in improving nutritional status have been made over the past fifty years. These changes are the result of 1) the demographic transition, 2) the epidemiological transition, and 3) the nutrition transition. Countries throughout the world are at various stages of the nutrition transition, as traditional diets give way to eating patterns characterized by more animal products, more added sugar, and more added fat. The world health organizations now face a different dilemma. Increasingly, countries are documenting that food insecurity and undernutrition exist side by side with problems of overnutrition and chronic diseases. Investment in applied nutrition research is desperately needed to identify and implement effective approaches for promoting healthy lifestyles.