title: Dietary transition in China and its health consequences.
abstract: The pattern of food consumption in China has been subject to significant changes during the last 30-40 years, although the average dietary pattern is still based on plant foods. These changes have been characterized by increased consumption of animal products and decreased consumption of cereal products. These trends are supported by both national food disappearance records and by household survey data on the intake of specific foods. Changes in urban areas have been much more substantial than in rural areas. Preliminary findings show that the dietary transition is associated with a simultaneous decrease in the prevalence of acute communicable diseases and an increase in the prevalence of the major chronic degenerative diseases, such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen