What is the relationship between nutritional epidemiology and global health initiatives aimed at malnutrition?
This article explores the relationship between global health initiatives that target malnutrition and nutritional epidemiology. In my role as a nutritionist and dietician, I'll explain in detail their interplay, the importance of it, and what you can do to begin understanding this critical aspect of global health. Moreover, I'll provide examples of real life, useful tips and suggestions that are based on research and scientific studies.
Nutritional epidemiology is important for global health initiatives
The field of nutritional epidemiology is crucial to global health programs that target malnutrition. It provides vital data on dietary factors, and how they affect human health. This branch of epidemiology helps us understand the relationship between diet, obesity, diabetes and other diseases like cancer, heart disease and cardiovascular problems. This information is crucial in developing effective strategies to combat malnutrition worldwide. World Health Organization reports that nearly 462 millions people are underweight worldwide, and 1.9 billion are obese or overweight. These alarming statistics demonstrate the importance of nutrition epidemiology to address this global health problem.
Get Started with Nutritional Epidemiology
It is important to first understand the scope of nutrition epidemiology. It is a branch of science that examines the link between diet and population health. This involves gathering data, conducting studies, analysing findings and implementing nutrition strategies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that highlights the importance of nutritional epidemiology in determining dietary factors and risk factors of disease, and in formulating dietary policies and guidelines.
Nutritional epidemiology examples in action
- Nutritional epidemiology was used to develop the U.S Department of Health and Human Services and U.S Department of Agriculture's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans".
- The fortification with iodine of salt was a result of research in nutritional epidemiology. This has led to a significant reduction of cases of goiter worldwide.
- Nutritional epidemiology has established the link between Vitamin A deficiency, and Blindness, particularly in developing countries. Global initiatives have been launched to give vitamin A to populations at risk.
- The nutritional epidemiology also showed a link between sodium and hypertension. This led to campaigns around the world to reduce salt content in processed food.
More Tips and Suggestions
It is important to keep up with new research findings and studies in order to effectively apply the nutritional epidemiology knowledge. Subscribe to journals on health, attend webinars, conferences and participate in online communities. Understanding the basic concepts of nutrition and epidemics will also help you to understand the complex elements of nutritional epidemiology.
Conclusion
Summary: Nutritional epidemiology is a key component of global health efforts to combat malnutrition. This field provides data that can be used to identify dietary risks and formulate effective strategies for combating malnutrition. We can each contribute in our way to the global effort by staying up-to-date with nutritional epidemiology research.
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