A country’s food culture and eating habits directly impact the health and well-being of its citizens. Economic factors contribute to problems such as obesity and malnourishment. This book examines how diet affects health in countries around the world, discussing how the availability of food and the types of foods eaten influence numerous health factors and are tied to the prevalence of “lifestyle” diseases. Readers will discover the importance of diet and food culture in determining human health as well as make connections and notice larger trends within multicultural, international contexts.

An ideal aid for high school and college students in completing research and writing assignments, this book supplies detailed diet- and health-related information about most major countries and regions in a single source. Each country profile will also include a convenient fact box with statistical information such as life expectancy, average caloric intake, and other health indicators.

Features

• Provides concise, accessible information in a ready-reference format that covers most major countries as well as a variety of non-country populations
• Includes an introductory essay that creates a conceptual framework for students
• Presents dozens of recipes that provide various real-world examples of the types of traditional foods eaten in other regions of the world
• Supplies further readings at the end of each entry that guide readers to additional sources of information