title: Dietary acculturation and the nutrition transition: an overview.
abstract: This article provides an overview of the phenomena of "dietary acculturation" and the "nutrition transition". The term dietary acculturation is defined, and a proposed model for how dietary acculturation occurs is presented. Various approaches to assessing dietary acculturation in research studies are discussed, and a research-driven discussion of the possible consequences of dietary acculturation on diet and health is presented. The concept of the nutrition transition and the importance of understanding this phenomenon are presented. Specifically, the term nutrition transition is defined, highlighting characteristic dietary changes, as well as shifts in physical activity and obesity trends. The paradox of continued high rates of malnutrition in developing countries and a new emergence of dietary excess, sedentary behavior, obesity, and other chronic diseases in middle- and upper-class persons in these countries will also be addressed. The article concludes with suggestions for future research in the areas of dietary acculturation and the nutrition transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Jessie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Satia
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003906:Developing Countries; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057185:Sedentary Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D009626:Terminology as Topic