Valiente S, Abala C, Avila B, Monckeberg F
Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1988 Sep;38(3):445-65.
The Latin American and Caribbean Region has different general characteristics as compared to other regions of the world. These peculiarities have determined certain food and nutritional problems which require specific programs and policies. Even though the universal coverage of basic needs is desirable, this is not the situation in the Region, and it is possible to identify integral vulnerable groups in every population. The study of problems related to food and nutrition requires a global and multidisciplinary approach considering ecological, economical, social and cultural factors affecting communities, especially marginal urban and rural populations. Nutritional diseases represent the last stages of the natural development of malnutrition, and although they are used as indicators of the nutritional situation, their magnitude always underestimate their real impact. It is in the large cities of Latin America that we can really understand the concept of malnutrition, which includes diseases related with both deficient and excessive food consumption. In fact, the development of sub-urban poor communities in large cities, short lactation period, low wages, low maternal schooling, soon lead to the development of under-nutrition in young urban populations. On the other hand, the interaction of urbanization, sedentary jobs, deficient food knowledge and excessive consumption of cheap foods, sometimes produces on the "survivors of under-nutrition" over-nutrition diseases, a problem which is acquiring more prevalence, especially in adults (obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis). The real nutritional diseases in Latin America do not depend on the deficit or excess of a specific nutrient. The true causes are to be properly identified in order to state recommendations which benefit population groups, and not only reach academic purposes.
与世界其他地区相比，拉丁美洲和加勒比地区具有不同的总体特征。这些特性决定了某些粮食和营养问题，而这些问题需要特定的方案和政策。尽管普遍满足基本需求是理想的，但该地区并非如此，而且在每个人口中都能识别出整体弱势群体。对与粮食和营养相关问题的研究需要一种全面的多学科方法，要考虑到影响社区，特别是城市和农村边缘人口的生态、经济、社会和文化因素。营养疾病代表着营养不良自然发展的最后阶段，虽然它们被用作营养状况的指标，但其严重程度总是低估了其实际影响。正是在拉丁美洲的大城市，我们才能真正理解营养不良的概念，其中包括与食物消费不足和过量都相关的疾病。事实上，大城市郊区贫困社区的发展、哺乳期短、工资低、母亲受教育程度低，很快就导致城市年轻人口出现营养不良问题。另一方面，城市化、久坐不动的工作、缺乏食物知识以及过量食用廉价食品之间的相互作用，有时会使“营养不良的幸存者”患上营养过剩疾病，这个问题正变得越来越普遍，尤其是在成年人中（肥胖、糖尿病和动脉粥样硬化）。拉丁美洲真正的营养疾病并不取决于特定营养素的缺乏或过量。必须正确识别真正的病因，以便提出有利于人群的建议，而不仅仅是为了学术目的。
