Healthy diets and regular, adequate physical activity are major factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout the entire life course.
Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are two of the main risk factors for raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, abnormal blood lipids, overweight/obesity, and for the major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
According to the World Health Report 2002:
Low intake of fruit and vegetables is estimated to cause about 31% of ischaemic heart disease, 11% of stroke worldwide and 19% of gastrointestinal cancer. Overall, 2.7 million deaths are attributable to low fruit and vegetable intake.
Physical inactivity is estimated to cause, globally, about 10-16% of cases each of breast cancer, colon and rectal cancers and diabetes mellitus, and about 22% of ischaemic heart disease. Overall, 1.9 million deaths are attributable to physical inactivity.
Recognizing the unique opportunity that exists to formulate and implement an effective strategy for substantially reduce deaths and disease burden worldwide by improving diet and promoting physical activity, WHO has adopted, in May 2004, the "Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health".
