The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The nutrition transition in Africa: can it be steered into a more positive direction

The nutrition transition in Africa: can it be steered into a more positive direction
The nutrition transition in Africa: can it be steered into a more positive direction
The objective of this narrative review is to examine the nutrition transition and its consequences when populations in Africa modernize as a result of socio-economic development, urbanization, and acculturation. The focus is on the changes in dietary patterns and nutrient intakes during the nutrition transition, the determinants and consequences of these changes as well as possible new approaches in public health nutrition policies, interventions and research needed to steer the nutrition transition into a more positive direction in Africa. The review indicates that non-communicable, nutrition-related diseases have emerged in sub-Saharan Africa at a faster rate and at a lower economic level than in industrialized countries, before the battle against under-nutrition has been won. There is a putative epigenetic link between under- and over-nutrition, explaining the double burden of nutrition-related diseases in Africa. It is concluded that it is possible to steer the nutrition transition into a more positive direction, provided that some basic principles in planning public health promotion strategies, policies and interventions are followed. It is suggested that sub-Saharan African countries join forces to study the nutrition transition and implemented interventions on epidemiological, clinical and molecular (genetic) level for better prevention of both under- and over-nutrition.
South Africa, nutrition transition, nutrient intakes, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, THUSA-study, PURE-study, THUSA BANA-study, PLAY-study
429-441
Vorster, Hester H.
3fdd99ab-edb0-4d31-8edf-48ac02f80304
Kruger, Annamarie
72f18457-17b9-4d8c-8bba-b3eda69526e1
Margetts, Barrie M.
d415f4a1-d572-4ebc-be25-f54886cb4788
Vorster, Hester H.
3fdd99ab-edb0-4d31-8edf-48ac02f80304
Kruger, Annamarie
72f18457-17b9-4d8c-8bba-b3eda69526e1
Margetts, Barrie M.
d415f4a1-d572-4ebc-be25-f54886cb4788

Vorster, Hester H., Kruger, Annamarie and Margetts, Barrie M. (2011) The nutrition transition in Africa: can it be steered into a more positive direction. Nutrients, 3 (4), 429-441. (doi:10.3390/nu3040429).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The objective of this narrative review is to examine the nutrition transition and its consequences when populations in Africa modernize as a result of socio-economic development, urbanization, and acculturation. The focus is on the changes in dietary patterns and nutrient intakes during the nutrition transition, the determinants and consequences of these changes as well as possible new approaches in public health nutrition policies, interventions and research needed to steer the nutrition transition into a more positive direction in Africa. The review indicates that non-communicable, nutrition-related diseases have emerged in sub-Saharan Africa at a faster rate and at a lower economic level than in industrialized countries, before the battle against under-nutrition has been won. There is a putative epigenetic link between under- and over-nutrition, explaining the double burden of nutrition-related diseases in Africa. It is concluded that it is possible to steer the nutrition transition into a more positive direction, provided that some basic principles in planning public health promotion strategies, policies and interventions are followed. It is suggested that sub-Saharan African countries join forces to study the nutrition transition and implemented interventions on epidemiological, clinical and molecular (genetic) level for better prevention of both under- and over-nutrition.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: April 2011
Keywords: South Africa, nutrition transition, nutrient intakes, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, THUSA-study, PURE-study, THUSA BANA-study, PLAY-study
Organisations: Primary Care & Population Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 207717
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/207717
PURE UUID: 7940e14f-47aa-4295-b681-6b1980c28163

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Jan 2012 12:18
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:40

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Hester H. Vorster
Author: Annamarie Kruger

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×