TY - JOUR
T1 - An Emerging Epidemic of Noncommunicable Diseases in Developing Populations Due to a Triple Evolutionary Mismatch
AU - Koopman, Jacob J E
AU - van Bodegom, David
AU - Ziem, Juventus B
AU - Westendorp, Rudi G J
N1 - © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
PY - 2016/6
Y1 - 2016/6
N2 - With their transition from adverse to affluent environments, developing populations experience a rapid increase in the number of individuals with noncommunicable diseases. Here, we emphasize that developing populations are more susceptible than western populations to acquire these chronic diseases, because their genetic, cultural, and epigenetic characteristics do not match with the eagerly awaited affluent environments. In regard to this, there is an urgent need for public health organizations to reorganize current environments in developing populations so as to fit their inherited characteristics. Unfortunately, this need is neglected as an essential part of the Sustainable Development Goals that form the core of the United Nations' Post-2015 Development Agenda. Only through global collaborative efforts can the environments in developing populations be reorganized and, thereby, the emerging epidemic of noncommunicable diseases be stalled.
AB - With their transition from adverse to affluent environments, developing populations experience a rapid increase in the number of individuals with noncommunicable diseases. Here, we emphasize that developing populations are more susceptible than western populations to acquire these chronic diseases, because their genetic, cultural, and epigenetic characteristics do not match with the eagerly awaited affluent environments. In regard to this, there is an urgent need for public health organizations to reorganize current environments in developing populations so as to fit their inherited characteristics. Unfortunately, this need is neglected as an essential part of the Sustainable Development Goals that form the core of the United Nations' Post-2015 Development Agenda. Only through global collaborative efforts can the environments in developing populations be reorganized and, thereby, the emerging epidemic of noncommunicable diseases be stalled.
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0715
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0715
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 26880777
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 94
SP - 1189
EP - 1192
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 6
ER -
