Dear Colleagues,

Globally, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major causes of mortality, with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung diseases, and diabetes being the most prolific. Almost 40 million people die annually from NCDs, with an estimated 80% of these occurring in low- and middle-income countries. However, most of these diseases can be prevented through limiting exposure to the known shared risk factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful use of alcohol.

The underlying drivers of the shift in dietary patterns (nutrition transition) and physical inactivity have been well described by Popkin. The first of these is technology which includes both labor-saving equipment, transport options, increased leisure activities, and food technology in the broadest sense. Urbanization has greatly accelerated in the past century and has resulted in greater access to a greater variety of foods, including processed foods, frequently at the expense of a traditional healthier diet. A shift in income per capita has also resulted in the price of food decreasing exponentially and there has been an enormous expansion of global trade, which makes access to modern technology available on a very large scale.

Another feature of the nutrition transition is the double burden of disease, both over- and undernutrition co-exist. Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), for example, have both a high prevalence of stunting in children and of overweight and obesity in mothers. Obesity in children has also increased globally in the past decade. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, who in turn appear to be more at risk of developing chronic NCDs in later life.

In recognition of the magnitude of the increasing challenges of the nutrition transition coupled with increased physical inactivity levels in developing countries the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health devotes this Special Issue to recent findings in “The Nutrition Transition and Physical Inactivity and the Health Outcomes thereof in Low- and Middle-Income countries: From Preconception to Adulthood”.

You are invited to submit manuscripts to be considered for publication in this Special Issue. We will particularly welcome submissions from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Emeritus Prof. Nelia Steyn
Prof. Dr. Marjanne Senekal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Second Edition of the Nutrition Transition and Physical Inactivity and Health Outcomes thereof in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: From Preconception to Adulthood in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (4 articles)