The food that people eat has become a major risk factor for disability and death worldwide. Yet countries and their philanthropic supporters seem not to be paying attention. They're investing far too little in improving diets and preventing nutrition-related disease.
The problem is part of a larger trend in human mortality. Until recently, in many low- and middle-income countries, malaria, diarrhea and other infectious diseases were the biggest killers. While such illnesses are far from being eradicated, noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer have become more widespread, and now account for two out of every three deaths globally. Seventy-five percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Why has this happened? Lifestyles have changed and, with them, diets. The world's growing population is more urban and global, and many countries, though not all, are improving economically. Over the past few decades, there's been an exponential increase in the number of people who are overweight or obese, and thus more vulnerable to noncommunicable diseases. A staggering 2 billion people are now overweight or obese, including 41 million children under the age of 5. To make matters worse, two-thirds of those children reside in low- and middle-income countries.