Rapid Economic Change,the Nutrition Transition and Its Effects on the Structure of Consumption: The Nutrition Transition in China

SUMMARY

Economic, demographic, and technological changes have led to a marked shift in the diet structure and the distribution of body composition in many regions of the world. Such changes include rapid reduction in fertility and aging of the population, urbanization, epidemiological transition, and the uneven distribution of the effect of economic reform. Research presented for China shows that it is undergoing a marked shift in its diet, activity, and nutritional status patterns. This paper presents data on the shifts in the structure of food decision-making and the associated body composition shifts.