The Link Between Food, Nutrition, Diet and Non-Communicable Diseases
The Link Between Food, Nutrition, Diet and Non-Communicable Diseases
The Link Between Food, Nutrition, Diet and Non-Communicable Diseases
www.wcrf.org
www.ncdalliance.org
Body composition
Consuming predominantly plant-based diets
reduces the risk of developing obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, and some forms of cancer.
Plant-based diets are high in vegetables and fruits,
wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds, and have
only modest amounts of meat and dairy. These
diets help to achieve and maintain a healthy
weight, reduce blood pressure, and are also rich
in sources of dietary fibre (which protects against
colorectal cancer).
O
verweight and obesity is associated with increased
total mortality and increased risk of disease or death
from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and several
types of cancer. It does so by increasing high blood
pressure, blood cholesterol, insulin resistance and
inflammation as well as hormone levels.
Life course
T he provision of nutrients in the womb, and what
we eat and how active we are from birth onwards
influences the size and shape of the human body
throughout the life course. These processes
influence the rate at which we grow and mature
from conception to adult life, and our physical and
mental development. There is a need to understand
these processes better, but they have already been
shown to influence risk of cardiovascular diseases
and cancers. Babies that are born large within the
normal range and people who grow tall have
a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes
in adulthood, but a greater risk of some cancers.
Conversely those who are born small have a greater
risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes later
in life. These effects apply not just to people who are
seriously over- or under-nourished, but also across
the full spectrum of growth and body composition.
N O U R I S
FOOD
ENVIRONMENT
FOOD
SYSTEM
I N G
behaviour
change
Policy Area
Inform the public and private sector about nutrition and health,
the role of government policy, and the need for responsible
corporate actions
www.wcrf.org/NOURISHING
This brief was written by World Cancer Research Fund International in collaboration with: Dr. Sanjay Basu (Stanford Univ., USA), Prof. Philip James,
Dr. Tim Lobstein and Hannah Brinsden (World Obesity Federation), Dr. Shweta Khandelwal (Public Health Foundation of India), Tryggve Eng Kielland,
Maxime Compaor, Ida Tidemann-Andersen (Norwegian Cancer Society), Prof. Mary LAbb (Univ. Toronto, Canada), Jane Martin (Obesity Policy
Coalition, Australia), Prof. Milla McLachlan (Stellenbosch Univ., South Africa), Dr. Jaime Miranda (Univ. Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru), Dr. Ladda
Mo-Suwan (Prince of Songkla Univ., Thailand), Prof. Abdulrahman Musaiger (Arab Center for Nutrition, Bahrain), Dr. Rachel Nugent (Univ. Washington,
USA), Dr. Juan Rivera Dommarco (National Institute of Public Health, Mexico), Dr. Md. Shamim Hayder Talukder and Shusmita Khan (Eminence,
Bangladesh), Prof. Ricardo Uauy (Univ. Chile and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) and The NCD Alliance.
About World Cancer Research Fund International and The NCD Alliance
World Cancer Research Fund International leads and unifies a network of cancer prevention charities with a global reach. We are the worlds
leading authority on cancer prevention research related to diet, weight and physical activity. We work collaboratively with organisations
around the world to encourage governments to implement policies to prevent cancer and other non-communicable diseases.
The NCD Alliance is a global civil society network of over 2,000 organisations in 170 countries working together to elevate non-communicable
diseases on the global health and development agenda.
World Cancer Research Fund International 22 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HH
Tel: +44 (0)20 7343 4200 Email: policy@wcrf.org www.wcrf.org
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