[afro-nets] Fighting Hunger Today May Halt Obesity

[Claudio Schuftan <aviva@netnam.vn>]

FIGHTING HUNGER TODAY MAY HALT OBESITY AND SOARING HEALTH COSTS
TOMORROW - UN
New York, Feb 11 2004 10:00AM

Reducing hunger and undernourishment in pregnant women and chil-
dren now could prevent them from becoming overweight and obese
and reduce associated health costs in later life, according to a
study released today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO).

With obesity identified as a main cause of non-communicable dis-
eases (NCDs), the study compiles a growing body of empirical
evidence suggesting that hunger during pregnancy "programmes"
foetal tissues to get the most out of the food energy available,
leading to overnourishment in adult life when coupled with
greater food availability and a more sedentary lifestyle.

Many developing countries currently face these conditions, with
potentially dramatic impact in the future, the agency said. Hun-
ger today and more food availability tomorrow will mean that
many will shift from hunger to obesity and become vulnerable to
one of the related NCDs, such as diabetes and coronary heart
disease.

"The message is clear: all efforts that help fight hunger today
and improve the nutritional situation of women during their re-
productive age have the potential to yield an extra dividend to-
morrow," the Rome-based FAO said.

"This is particularly important in developing countries, where
'prenatal programming' is likely to lead to overweight, obesity
and increased susceptibility to NCDs in a less austere later
life," it added.

The economic and healthcare costs of NCDs are already high in
developed countries. In the United States alone they have risen
to over $120 billion annually. These economic problems will be
felt more in developing countries as falling real prices for
food, rising incomes and rapidly increasing urbanization change
nutrition patterns.

Diets in many developing countries are approaching energy and
protein intake levels that have for long been limited to consum-
ers in developed countries, the study says. But while people in
more advanced countries may be able to cope with the associated
costs, the story is very different in developing countries where
many people will not be able to pay for medical treatment.

Globally, diets are getting worse, FAO notes. People in 36 per
cent of all countries consume more than the recommended 300 mil-
ligrams per person a day of cholesterol, more than twice the
rate of the early 1960s, while, 34 per cent exceed the 30 per
cent threshold of fat in the diet, compared to 18 per cent 40
years ago.