Today an international conference on nutrition, organized by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the Uzbekistan Ministry of Health and the INCF “For a Healthy Generation” opened in Tashkent. A grant provided by the U.S. Embassy enabled U.S. researchers, key government officials, health education institutions and non-governmental organizations to come together to discuss the most recent science concerning the role of nutrition and how this knowledge can be used to improve the overall health of  Uzbekistan’s population.  Internationally recognized scholars will present the latest science about how nutrition impacts risk for diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease as well as how the nutrition of one generation impacts the health of following generations.

The importance of healthy nutrition of adolescent girls and women of child-bearing age prior to conception is a key theme of the event.  At the event, a Russian language edition of the book “Nutrition in the Womb” by the late UK physician and researcher Dr. David Barker will be launched.

“Nutrition is far more important for long-term health than previously understood. Research shows that nutrition before and during pregnancy, during lactation and in the first years of life plays a significant role is establishing risks for chronic disease in adults,” said keynote speaker Dr. Kent Thornburg, Director of the OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness.

The goal of the conference is to find ways that the science can influence health policies and education practices to ensure a long-term positive impact on the country’s health and to make Uzbekistan a leader in the understanding and practice of how to create a healthy nation.

The recent Global Burden of Disease study, published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, found Uzbekistan tops the lists of European nations with the highest mortality from consuming an unbalanced diet. Between 1990 and 2006, Uzbekistan had more diet-related cardiovascular deaths than all of the 51 countries in the World Health Organization European Region. These deaths were attributable to diets high in sodium, low in whole-grains and high in low-fiber white flour products.