Nutrition and the global risk for chronic diseases: the INTERHEALTH nutrition initiative. The INTERHEALTH Steering Committee.

As chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, the World Health Organization's INTERHEALTH Programme, an international collaboration currently involving 15 countries, has focused its attention on population-based NCD prevention. Participating nations include Australia, Chile, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Finland, Japan, Lithuania, Malta, Mauritius, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and the United States. This paper will review and assess global trends in food and nutrient intake among INTERHEALTH countries between 1954 and 1986.