Mixed
Rapid nutrition transition toward energy-dense, micronutrient-poor diets in sub-Saharan Africa drives a double burden of disease, characterized by the simultaneous emergence of obesity/NCDs and persistent under-nutrition.
In rapidly urbanizing African contexts, simply increasing food availability is not enough. Public health strategies must simultaneously address calorie excess (obesity/NCDs) and nutrient deficiency (stunting/micronutrients) by promoting holistic, integrated dietary guidelines that prioritize whole foods and limit processed, energy-dense items.
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.
Why this rating
Based on a narrative review of multiple large-scale observational studies (THUSA, PURE, Demographic Health Survey) and epidemiological data.
Source
The Nutrition Transition in Africa: Can It Be Steered into a More Positive Direction?
Hester H. Vorster et al. · Nutrients · 2011
DOI 10.3390/nu3040429
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- Fetal programming and early-life under-nutrition (stunting) increase vulnerability to obesity and metabolic syndrome when individuals are exposed to modern, energy-dense diets during the nutrition transition.Good
- Steering the nutrition transition toward positive health outcomes requires holistic, integrated public health policies that simultaneously address under- and over-nutrition through community involvement and stakeholder engagement.Moderate
Related findings · Mixed
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