Contents

## **Preface XI**


Li Liu, Hui Zou and Ya-Huan Li

Chapter 5 **Body Mass Index and Colorectal Cancer 77** Nuri Faruk Aykan, Mehmet Artac and Tahsin Özatli

Preface

in the world.

and for pregnant women.

Yours truly

average according to their height (ie wasted).

Nearly eight billion people live in the world today. Close to one billion people live on the edge of hunger, and more than two billion people are obese or overweight. Two billion peo‐ ple are lacking essential micronutrients such as vitamin A and iron. One in three women of childbearing age is anemic. There are 150 million children under five years old that are short according to their age (ie stunted). There are 50 million children whose weight is less than

The most common diseases, and also the most deadly diseases of today, are cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. They are directly or indirectly related to unheal‐ thy diet. Obesity in children and adults, micronutrient deficiencies in children, pregnant women and the elderly, stunted and wasting in children are important nutritional problems

Beginning with life intrauterine, a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits protects individ‐ uals from many acute and chronic diseases. To be protected from acute and chronic nutrition related diseases, countries should prepare control programs and undertake screening for po‐ tential deficiencies or excesses, encourage breastfeeding, provide healthy nutrition guidelines for each age group and encourage the consumption of natural probiotics and prebiotic foods. The body mass index has an important place in weight control. Attention should be paid to the regularization of anthropometric measures and to physical activity to protect from in‐ creasing obesity that is associated with chronic noncommunicable conditions, such as diabe‐ tes mellitus, cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Also, attention should be paid to the countries that are developing. The daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, oils and proteins, vitamins and minerals and clean water is essential for all individuals, especially for children

I would like to thank IntechOpen publishing house for giving me the opportunity to be edi‐ tor of this book titled "Body-mass Index and Health" and to write this preface. I wish every‐

> **Prof. MD. Ayşe Emel Önal** Specialist of Public Health

Istanbul Medical Faculty

Istanbul, Turkey

Directior of Department of Public Health of Istanbul University

one fresh air, healthy water, healthy food and a healthy, long life.
