Global food crisis: prevent 15 million deaths through better diets!

Global food crisis: prevent 15 million deaths through better diets!

Shifting to a diet that is both healthy for people and sustainable for the planet is becoming increasingly important. This is emphasized by Wafaie Fawzi, head of the interdisciplinary program in Nutrition and Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His research focuses on diet-related disease risks in children and adolescents and demonstrates the connection between healthy nutrition and global health policy. By founding international networks such as the Africa Academy of Public Health, he has made important contributions to promoting healthy nutritional strategies. In 2022, Fawzi was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, making him a leading voice in health research.

The Marsilius Kolleg at Heidelberg University highlights the need for dialogue between different scientific disciplines to address complex challenges such as malnutrition and obesity in the context of climate change. These issues were recently highlighted by a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Planetary Health Diet and its effects

The study examines the effects of the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) on premature deaths. This diet promotes a high intake of foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated oils. In contrast, it recommends limiting your intake of red and processed meats, as well as added sugars and refined grains. The diet aims to emphasize minimally processed or unprocessed foods to protect not only individual health but also the environment.

The study shows that global compliance with the PHD has so far been low. The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) rates diets on a scale of 0 to 140. The global average is just 85, far from optimal adherence. The estimate is that improving the PHDI to 120 could prevent around 15 million deaths annually, including 2.5 million from cardiovascular disease and 0.7 million from neurodegenerative diseases.

Global challenges and regional differences

The different PHDI values ​​are reflected in the varying national nutritional data. While countries around the Mediterranean show better adherence to the diet, adherence in high- and low-income countries is concerning. In high-income countries, this is often due to agricultural policies that keep red meat prices low while fruit and vegetable prices are high. In low-income countries, there is a lack of financial support for access to nutritious foods.

The EAT-Lancet Commission, led by Professor Johan Rockström, also advocates for a balanced and environmentally friendly diet. It formulates scientific goals that aim, among other things, not to expand land use, preserve biological diversity and reduce CO2 emissions. The commission works on regionally tailored nutritional recommendations to promote healthy and sustainable food systems worldwide. The task of developing a new food system is described as a huge challenge.

Overall, it is clear that a rethinking of diet is necessary in order to take into account both the health of the individual and the health of our planet. The interdisciplinary approaches and the emphasis on dialogue between different scientific areas like at Heidelberg University could be crucial for this transformation.