WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Global nutrition security is faltering as food quality, availability, and access deteriorate and contribute to health conditions and disparities.
The degradation of Earth’s natural systems, combined with anthropogenic CO2 emissions, poses a critical threat to global food systems. Beyond the climate-induced impacts on quantity of crops, elevated CO2 levels directly affect the nutritional value of staple crops. As of 2023, the globally averaged CO2 concentration reached 420 ppm, with projections suggesting levels could exceed 550 ppm by mid-century. This increase could lead to an additional 1.9% of the global population (approximately 175 million people) becoming zinc deficient, 1.3% (122 million people) facing protein deficiencies, and nearly 1.4 billion children under five and women of childbearing age living in regions at the highest risk of iron deficiency-induced anemia. Vulnerable populations, especially in low-income regions where diets are predominantly plant-based, face a heightened risk of multiple nutrient deficiencies.
Deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and pollution further undermine the planet’s ability to support and produce food sustainably. Climate instability exacerbates these challenges, with extreme weather events, shifting rainfall patterns, and rising temperatures disrupting agricultural yields and destabilizing growing seasons. Meanwhile, the depletion of vital resources, such as freshwater and fertile soil, along with declines in pollinator populations due to habitat loss and pesticide use, jeopardizes crops critical for food production.
These interconnected issues collectively compromise food availability, access, and nutritional quality, intensifying the risk of hunger and malnutrition for billions, particularly in low-income communities reliant on subsistence farming. Addressing these challenges demands urgent, coordinated efforts to restore and protect Earth’s natural systems while fostering sustainable and resilient food systems.
Nutritional Diseases Climate Change
The study links rising temperatures to higher added sugar consumption, mainly from sweetened beverages and frozen desserts. Vulnerable groups face greater increases, with nationwide intake projected to rise significantly under climate change, stressing urgent health adaptations.
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Noncommunicable Diseases Nutritional Diseases
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Nutritional Diseases Chemical Pollution
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Mental Health Nutritional Diseases
Researchers explore the links between mindful eating, Mediterranean diet adherence, climate change awareness, and psychological well-being. Findings show mindful eating and awareness improve well-being, while Mediterranean diet adherence unexpectedly predicts lower well-being, underscoring complex interactions between sustainability, diet, and mental health.
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Nutritional Diseases Food Systems
A groundbreaking study conducted in Spain has, for the first time, quantified the health damages resulting from the environmental impacts of our food consumption under the Planetary Health approach. The findings indicate that the consumption of meat, fish, seafood, and dairy products contributes to 55% of the overall health damage.
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