The World Health Report 2002 these changes on the health of individuals, families, communities and whole populations These are issues that deeply concern us all. This was reflected in the in-depth discus- sions involving ministers of health from almost all of WHO's Member States during the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May of this year. These discussions helped shape this report, and are summarized in the opening chapter. They provided invaluable assessments of the risks to health that countries around the world today regard as most important These risks, and some additional ones, are systematically investigated in this report hey include some familiar enemies of health and allies of poverty, such as underweight, unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, unsafe sex(particularly related to HIVIAIDS ron deficiency, and indoor smoke from solid fuels The list also includes risks that are more commonly associated with wealthy societies, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and physical inactivity. These risks, and the diseases linked to them are now dominant in all middle and high income countries. The real drama now being played out is that they are becoming more prevalent in the developing world, where they create a double burden on top of the infectious diseases that still afflict poorer countries In my address to the World Health Assembly in May of this year, I warned that the world living dangerously, either because it has little choice or because it is making the wrong hoices about consumption and activity I repeat that warning now Unhealthy choices are not the exclusive preserve of indust alized nations. We all need to confront them Many of the risks discussed in this report concern consumption-either too little, in the ase of the poor, or too much, in the case of the better-off. Two of the most striking findings in this report are to be found almost side by side. One is that in poor countries today there are 170 million underweight children, over three mil- lion of whom will die this year as a result. The other is that there are more than one billion dults worldwide who are overweight and at least 300 million who are clinically obese Among these, about half a million people in North America and Western Europe combined will have died this year from obesity-related diseases Could the contrast between the haves and the have-nots ever be more starkly ill trated? WHO is determined to tackle specific nutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations and to promote good health through optimal diets, particularly in countries undergoing rapid nutritional transition. At the same time, we are developing new guidelines for healthy eating. When these are omplete, key players in the food industry will be invited to work with us in combating the rising incidence of obesity, diabetes and vascular diseases in developing countries Our actions will be vital. The rapidly growing epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, already responsible for some 60% of world deaths, is clearly related to changes in glob dietary patterns and increased consumption of industrially processed fatty, salty and sugary foods. In the slums of todays megacities, we are seeing noncommunicable diseases caused unhealthy diets and habits, side by side with undemutrition As I said at the World Food Summit in Rome in June of this year, economic development and globalization need not be associated with negative health consequences. On the con- trary, we can harness the forces of globalization to reduce inequity, to diminish hunger and prove health in a more just glow Whatever the particular risks to health, whether they are related to consumption or not, every country needs to be able to adapt risk reduction policies to its own needs.x The World Health Report 2002 these changes on the health of individuals, families, communities and whole populations. These are issues that deeply concern us all. This was reflected in the in-depth discus￾sions involving ministers of health from almost all of WHO’s Member States during the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May of this year. These discussions helped shape this report, and are summarized in the opening chapter. They provided invaluable assessments of the risks to health that countries around the world today regard as most important. These risks, and some additional ones, are systematically investigated in this report. They include some familiar enemies of health and allies of poverty, such as underweight, unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, unsafe sex (particularly related to HIV/AIDS), iron deficiency, and indoor smoke from solid fuels. The list also includes risks that are more commonly associated with wealthy societies, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and physical inactivity. These risks, and the diseases linked to them, are now dominant in all middle and high income countries. The real drama now being played out is that they are becoming more prevalent in the developing world, where they create a double burden on top of the infectious diseases that still afflict poorer countries. In my address to the World Health Assembly in May of this year, I warned that the world is living dangerously, either because it has little choice or because it is making the wrong choices about consumption and activity. I repeat that warning now. Unhealthy choices are not the exclusive preserve of industri￾alized nations. We all need to confront them. Many of the risks discussed in this report concern consumption – either too little, in the case of the poor, or too much, in the case of the better-off. Two of the most striking findings in this report are to be found almost side by side. One is that in poor countries today there are 170 million underweight children, over three mil￾lion of whom will die this year as a result. The other is that there are more than one billion adults worldwide who are overweight and at least 300 million who are clinically obese. Among these, about half a million people in North America and Western Europe combined will have died this year from obesity-related diseases. Could the contrast between the haves and the have-nots ever be more starkly illus￾trated? WHO is determined to tackle specific nutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations and to promote good health through optimal diets, particularly in countries undergoing rapid nutritional transition. At the same time, we are developing new guidelines for healthy eating. When these are complete, key players in the food industry will be invited to work with us in combating the rising incidence of obesity, diabetes and vascular diseases in developing countries. Our actions will be vital. The rapidly growing epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, already responsible for some 60% of world deaths, is clearly related to changes in global dietary patterns and increased consumption of industrially processed fatty, salty and sugary foods. In the slums of today’s megacities, we are seeing noncommunicable diseases caused by unhealthy diets and habits, side by side with undernutrition. As I said at the World Food Summit in Rome in June of this year, economic development and globalization need not be associated with negative health consequences. On the con￾trary, we can harness the forces of globalization to reduce inequity, to diminish hunger and to improve health in a more just and inclusive global society. Whatever the particular risks to health, whether they are related to consumption or not, every country needs to be able to adapt risk reduction policies to its own needs