Research

Energy balance

Rising income levels in developing countries lead to a 'nutrition transition' characterized by sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie diets, causing a rapid increase in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

As countries develop and people earn more, they often consume more processed foods and move less. This leads to rapid increases in childhood obesity and diabetes. To counter this, communities and families must prioritize physical activity and healthy food choices even as incomes rise.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The evidence suggests that as income levels rise obesity and its co-morbidities become more prevalent among children and young adults in developing countries.
Paul Amuna et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2008

Why this rating

Supported by specific epidemiological data from Kuwait showing significant shifts in BMI and energy balance over two decades.

Source

Epidemiological and nutrition transition in developing countries: impact on human health and development

Paul Amuna et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2008

DOI 10.1017/s0029665108006058

narrative_reviewCited 338×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →