Pathways into Noncommunicable Diseases Start Early in Life
Rae-Chi Huang and Fiona J Stanley

“We are living in a time of unprecedented risk for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic pulmonary disease. In 2008, it was estimated by the World Health Organization that NCDs were responsible for 63% of deaths (57 million deaths) worldwide. In Australia and other developed countries, communicable (or infectious) diseases are no longer the primary cause of mortality. Instead, we are seeing unprecedented levels of NCDs …”