Nutrition – challenge and scourge of the 21st century

Christian Löser, Kassel

75 % of all diseases treated in Western industrial countries are primarily related to nutrition and lifestyle. Besides the main problem overweight, there is also malnutrition and hypoalimentation to a relevant extent mainly in higher age groups.

Those whose nutritional status is normal when they are admitted to hospital for medical treatment represent the smallest group. Life expectancy of the Germans, nevertheless, is constantly increasing. This is important not only from the medical and economic points of view, but will lead to serious changes for everyone and society altogether.

The consequences of our dramatically changed nutritional habits have for a long time already not been of merely medical nature, but will have serious economic and social effects. Previous approaches towards education and prevention obviously had no lasting success. It is necessary that all socially relevant groups get aware of, and concern themselves with the subject.

Keywords: demographic change, hypoalimentation, life expectancy, lifestyle, malnutritition, nutritional diseases.

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs Umschau 05/07 ab Seite 248.