Dietary assessment issues of concern to policymakers: statement from the World Health Organization

The uses of dietary assessment are many and are increasing as are the demands for better quality of the dietary data collected. International meetings on dietary-assessment methodology provide opportunities for sharing experiences and for in-depth discussion among those from different countries who are working to solve similar problems. Although the state of assessment methodology has improved, continued efforts are needed worldwide to further enhance expertise in dietary assessment at local levels. Strategies to improve dietary assessment include increasing awareness among policymakers and academics of the existence of high-quality information about what people eat and how this information may or may not be used, improving communication and dissemination of available nutrition information, and continuing to improve the quality of the information collected and the speed with which it is put to use.