"This important publication is the final report of the most recent expert group meeting, the Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consulation on Human Energy Requirements, convened in October 2001 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy ... FAO publishes this report on behalf of the three United Nations (UN agencies (FAO/WHO/UNU that organised the consultation" -- Foreword.

Diet and Health examines the many complex issues concerning diet and its role in increasing or decreasing the risk of chronic disease. It proposes dietary recommendations for reducing the risk of the major diseases and causes of death today: atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack and stroke), cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dental caries.

Since its introduction in 1943 Recommended Dietary Allowances has become the accepted source of nutrient allowances for healthy people. These Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are used throughout the food and health fields. Additionally, RDAs serve as the basis for the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances, the Food and Drug Administration's standards for nutrition labeling of foods. The 10th Edition includes research results and expert interpretations from years of progress in nutrition research since the previous edition and provides not only RDAs but also "Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes"â€"provisional values for nutrients where data were insufficient to set an RDA. Organized by nutrient for ready reference, the volume reviews the function of each nutrient in the human body, sources of supply, effects of deficiencies and excessive intakes, relevant study results, and more. The volume concludes with the invaluable "Summary Table of Recommended Dietary Allowances," a convenient and practical summary of the recommendations.

Dietary reference values (DRVs) for energy are based on estimating the total energy expenditure (TEE) for groups of people. TEE provides a measure of the energy requirement at energy balance i.e. when energy intake matches energy expenditure. The methodology to measure TEE - the doubly labelled water (DLW) method - has advanced and as a result, the evidence base on TEE in a wide variety of population groups has expanded considerably. With the high levels of overweight and obesity currently seen in the UK and the wealth of new data now available, it was considered timely for the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review recommendations for the UK population. This report details the evidence and approaches SACN have considered in order to update the DRVs for energy. SACN chose a prescriptive approach to estimating energy reference values; suitable reference body weight ranges consistent with long-term good health were used to calculate energy reference values. Thus, basal metabolic rate (BMR) values were predicted using healthy reference body weights. Using this approach, if overweight groups consume the amount of energy recommended for healthy weight groups, they are likely to lose weight, whereas underweight sections of the population should gain weight towards the healthy body weight range. SACN has derived new energy reference values. For most population groups, except for infants and young children, the values have increased. DRVs should be used to assess the energy requirements for large groups of people and populations, but should not be applied to individuals due to the large variation in physical activity and energy expenditure observed between people.

In the past 20 years micronutrients have assumed great public health importance and a considerable amount of research has lead to increasing knowledge of their physiological role. Because it is a rapidly developing field, the WHO and FAO convened an Expert Consultation to evaluate the current state of knowledge. It had three main tasks: to review the full scope of vitamin and minerals requirements; to draft and adopt a report which would provide recommended nutrient intakes for vitamins A, C, D, E, and K; the B vitamins; calcium; iron; magnesium; zinc; selenium; and iodine; to identify key issues for future research and make preliminary recommendations for the handbook. This report contains the outcome of the Consultation, combined with up-to-date evidence that has since become available.