title: Global Changes in Food Supply and the Obesity Epidemic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We explore how a global shift in the food system caused by global economic growth, increase in available food per capita and in food processing is a driver of the obesity epidemic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Economic development in most areas of the world has resulted in increased purchasing power and available per capita food. Supermarkets and a growing fast-food industry have transformed our dietary pattern. Ultra-processed food rich on sugars and saturated fat is now the major source of energy in most countries. The shift in food supply is considered a major driver of the obesity epidemic and the increasing prevalence of accompanying complications, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the global shift might also have direct effects on the increase in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, independently of overweight and obesity. The shift in the food supply is a major driver of the obesity epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors.forename: Emilie H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Zobel
authors.affiliation: Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tine W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossing
authors.affiliation: Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark. bjos@steno.dk.
authors.forename: Bernt Johan
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: von Scholten
mesh_terms: D057217:Economic Development; D058872:Epidemics; D005511:Food Handling; D005523:Food Supply; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Food supply; Obesity; Ultra-processed food