Research
Mixed
Rapid urbanization and economic growth in lower-income countries drive a nutrition transition characterized by increased consumption of fats and sweeteners alongside reduced physical activity, leading to rising obesity and chronic disease rates.
In lower-income countries, moving to cities and gaining income often leads to eating more fat/sugar and moving less, causing obesity and diabetes. To stay healthy, these populations need targeted interventions to maintain physical activity and choose healthier foods despite urbanization.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The rapid changes in diet, activity and obesity that are facing billions of residents of lower- and middle-income countries are cause for great concern. Linked with these changes will be a rapid increase in chronic diseases.
Why this rating
Based on large-scale national surveys (CHNS, Russian Longitudinal Monitoring) and FAOSTAT data, though observational.
Source
The nutrition transition and its health implications in lower-income countries
Barry M. Popkin · Public Health Nutrition · 1998
DOI 10.1079/phn19980004
narrative_reviewCited 728×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Urbanization is a primary driver of dietary changes, specifically increasing energy intake from fats and sweeteners, independent of total GNP per capita.Good
- The shift from agricultural to industrial/service occupations leads to reduced physical activity, contributing significantly to obesity and chronic energy deficiency in rural areas.Good
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