AN OVERVIEW ON DIETARY TRANSITION IN IRAN: CHALLENGES FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES PREVENTION

Background and Aim: An overview on the dietary transition in IRAN during last decades; Expressing the obstacles regarding food security; Explaining the barriers of food supplying and safety; Looking at the consequences of financial sanctions; Presentation of resolving strategies in national levels Main body: Nutrition-related NCDs (NR-NCDs) and obesity are now becoming enormous public health concerns in both developed and developing countries and tends to be more dramatic in the developing world by 2050. Iran is undergoing an epidemiological and nutritional transition. Over the last 2–3 decades, major changes in lifestyle and food consumption patterns have occurred, as well as in the socio-economic situation. Disease patterns have changed and some micronutrient deficiencies and chronic nutritional diseases, including obesity, are on the increase. The relationship between income growth and increased calories consumption, dietary pattern and obesity is non-monotonic in different contexts. NCDs account 76% of total deaths in Iran, leading by cardiovascular diseases (46%), and tend to remain high as aging population will pose a challenge to the health sector during years to come. In the course of last few decades, Iran has been experiencing significant demographic, socio-economic and nutrition transition, all of which have resulted in dramatic changes in the pattern and burden of NCDs. Inapt nutrition and low physical activity are among the first five leading causes of the NCDs in Iran. Beside the dietary transition, changes in food prices will have a greater effect on food consumption in lower income subgroups of the population particularly in poorer households. This has important implications for national responses to increases in food prices and for the definition of policies designed to reduce the national burden of undernutrition. Lack of public awareness on healthy foods, lack of political commitment and lack of human and laboratory resources for testing could be taken into account as the main defendants. Food Safety and authority could act to address the important NCD related issues. Modifying the existing subsidy to food items, palm oil imports and production; food items in public distribution systems, setting based programs e.g. Schools and works, reduction in Salt intake and processed foods including sweetened beverages may be known as the principal strategies for managing of the burdens. Conclusion: An unhealthy dietary intake may exist among the households particularly among lower socio-economic level in Iran. This calls for appropriate policy making and intervention.

Keywords:

Nutrition transition , Non-communicable disease , Obesity , CVD , diabetes