The Emerging Importance of Dietary Lipids, Quantity and Quality, in the Global Disease Burden: the Potential of Aquatic Resources

Abstract

Achievement of Health-for-All, whereby people everywhere throughout their lives, have the opportunity to reach and maintain the highest attainable level of health is impossible whilst hunger, starvation, and malnutrition remain. Malnutrition covers a broad spectrum of ills, including undernutrition, specific nutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition; and it kills, maims, retards, cripples, blinds, and impairs human development on a truly massive scale worldwide. In the developing world in 1995, of the estimated 10.4 million deaths among children under 5 years of age, protein-energy malnutrition was an associated and causative factor in 5.1 million of these deaths (i.e. 49%). On the other hand, evidence has recently been compiled suggesting that of the more than 10 million cases of cancer that occurred in 1996, an estimated 30–40% (3–4 million every year) are preventable by feasible, appropriate diets, and by physical activity and maintenance of appropriate body weight. Malnutrition affects all age groups across the entire lifespan. From the moment of conception, throughout foetal life, iodine, folate and intrauterine nutrition have a profound influence on development, growth, morbidity, mortality, not only in utero and in early infancy, but on morbidity, physical and mental capacity throughout life. Despite significant improvements in world food supplies, health conditions, and availability of educational and social services, no population escapes malnutrition's grasp. All countries have significant population groups with some form of debilitating malnutrition. Malnutrition worldwide, includes a spectrum of nutrient-related disorders, deficiencies and conditions including the following major public health problems; Intrauterine growth retardation, protein-energy malnutrition, Iodine deficiency disorders, Vitamin A Deficiency, Iron Deficiency Anaemia and Overweight and Obesity (WHO, Website).