My own interest is in food and nutrition, rather than health obvious. Under-nutrition has an adverse impact on the survival, growth and the health of children, as well as on the intelligence and productivity of both children and adults (Box 1).

Foetal under-nutrition also has a direct connection with ill-health in later life, particularly obesity, late onset diabetes and hypertension. Over-nutrition, of course, has similar outcomes. This twin onslaught helps to explain the explosion of chronic dietary disease (CDD) among adults in developing countries, presenting a new 'double-burden' for health services, which are required to take on the new burden of CDDs as well as the old burden of high mortality and morbidity among children. The numbers are improving, but not fast enough, especially in Africa (Box 2)................. (see link in title for full article)