A symposium and workshop report from the Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative: nutrition transition and the global burden of type 2 diabetes

The present report summarises the symposium ‘Nutrition Transition and the Global Burden of Type 2 Diabetes’ and a workshop on strategies for dietary interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes held by the Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative, Boston, MA, USA in November 2011. The objectives of this event were to bring attention to the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes in light of the ongoing nutrition transition worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and to highlight the present evidence on key dietary risk factors contributing to the global diabetes burden. The meeting put forward ideas for further research on this topic and discussed practical recommendations to design and implement culturally appropriate dietary interventions with a focus on improving carbohydrate quality to help alleviate this growing health problem.