In every region of the world, poor diet is a leading cause of both malnutrition and chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and specific cancers.1–3 In 2013, 38.3 million deaths occurred due to chronic diseases globally (70% of all deaths), with most of these deaths occurring in developing countries.4 Anecdotal evidence and more formal evaluations in a limited number of countries suggest that changes in traditional eating patterns and a growing reliance on new types of foods are major drivers of these transitions.

Raised blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. We estimated worldwide trends in mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence of, and number of people with, raised blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher.

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There is growing recognition of the importance of physical activity (PA) in children and youth for the primary prevention of obesity and certain non-communicable diseases, later in life. Moreover, PA during childhood is essential for normal growth and development, while PA and sport are a platform for the development of social capital, social cohesion and inclusiveness, as well as promoting gender equity.

Insulin resistance (IR) is present long before the onset of type 2 diabetes and results not only from inherited and lifestyle factors but also likely from environmental conditions. We investigated the association between modeled long-term exposure to air pollution at residence and biomarkers related to IR, subclinical inflammation, and adipokines. Data were based on 2,944 participants of the KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region Augsburg) F4 study conducted in southern Germany (2006–2008).

Postprandial hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease mortality. Postprandial hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia also occur in metabolically healthy subjects consuming high-carbohydrate diets particularly after evening meals and when carbohydrate loads follow acute exercise.

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of brand equity characters displayed on food packaging on children’s food preferences and choices, 2 studies were conducted. Brand equity characters are developed specifically to represent a particular brand or product. Despite existing literature suggesting that promotional characters influence children’s food choices, to date, no research has assessed the influence of brand equity characters specifically.

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