Nutrition science - past, present and future

On 26 April 2016, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) held a half-day conference in London on ‘Nutrition science – past, present and future’. This began by considering the dramatic changes that have influenced diets over the past 25 years in relation to government policy, the food supply, food in schools and communications. Dietary surveys, particularly the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, have allowed the nation's dietary intake to be monitored over this period. These surveys have played an important role in supporting science and policy, and highlighted changes and trends in nutrient intakes and status of the UK population over the past 25 years. In terms of health, there has been a dramatic increase in average life expectancy globally during the 20th century and the conference considered recent advances in understanding of the ageing process, epigenetics and nutrition across the life-course. A number of lifestyle factors are recognised to influence risk of chronic diseases in later life. For example, dietary recommendations reflect the link between fat, particularly saturated fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease, although this has been widely debated in recent years. The conference concluded with considerations to what the future might hold for nutrition, as we grapple with decisions about what to grow and produce to ensure sustainability of the food supply in the face of likely climate change and a growing and more prosperous global population.