A study published in the journal ‘The Lancet’ says that a re-balancing of diet can help people live better in almost every region of the world.

Key Facts

• It reviewed trends from the *Global Burden of Disease taking into account the consumption of fifteen dietary factors from 1990 – 2017 in 195 countries.
• The study was conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of  Washington, USA.
• It reported that one in five deaths globally (approximately 11 million people) are related to poor diet.
• Diets with high levels of fats, sugary drinks, sodium, red and processed meats and low levels of whole grains, fruits and green leaves and vegetables are what contribute to this.
• Poor diets also increase the chances of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Some observations of the study were:

• High intake of sodium (above 3gm per day) was a major dietary risk in China, Japan and Thailand.
• Low intake of whole grains (below 125g per day) in the USA, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Iran, and Turkey.
• Low intake of fruits  (below 250g per day) caused dietary risks in Bangladesh.
• In Mexico, low intake of nuts and seeds (below 21g per day).

Researchers say that the magnitude of diet-related diseases highlights the ineffectiveness of existing campaigns on diet and nutrition occurring worldwide under various international and regional organisations. This study proposed a complete re-framing of dietary habits around the world.