Research on health and nutrition confirms the important role of diet in maintaining health, reducing the risk of chronic disease, and reinforces the link between diet and heart disease, cancer and obesity. While death rates for cardiovascular diseases continue to decline, health risks in other areas are increasing. Obesity is on the verge of becoming epidemic and Syndrome X (the deadly trio of insulin resistance, obesity and hyperlipidaemia) has been implicated in many chronic diseases. To explore these new developments in nutrition and health research the Royal Society of Canada sponsored a symposium in 1996 that brought together researchers from around the world. "Current Perspectives on Nutrition and Health" is based on that symposium. The contributors explore recent findings on disease patterns, health maintenance and dietary approaches to reducing the risk of chronic disease. Internationally known experts provide new information on the influence of diet on heart disease, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
As well, they examine recent developments in nutrition research in Britain and other European countries and discuss priorities for nutrition research in Canada as set forth in a report released by the Ministry of Health.