title: Food policies for physical and mental health.
abstract: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for the largest burden of early mortality and are predicted to cost the global community more than US $30 trillion over the next 20 years. Unhealthy dietary habits, in large part driven by substantial changes to global food systems, are recognised as major contributors to many of the common NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Recent evidence now indicates that unhealthy diets are also risk factors for mental disorders, particularly depression and dementia. This affords substantial scope to leverage on the established and developing approaches to the nutrition-related NCDs to address the large global burden of these mental disorders and reinforces the imperative for governments take substantial actions in regards to improving the food environment and consequent population health via policy initiatives.
authors.affiliation: IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University, School of Medicine and Barwon Health, PO Box 281, Geelong 3220, Australia. felice@barwonhealth.org.au.
authors.forename: Felice N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Jacka
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allender
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008603:Mental Health; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012307:Risk Factors