While most Third World countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America, have experienced a deterioration in child welfare as a result of the severe economic downturn in the 1980s, Southeast Asia in general managed to sustain improvements in the situation of its children because it has maintained satisfactory rates of economic growth. However, there were exceptions within Southeast Asia. The Philippines, Vietnam, Dem. Kampuchea and Laos had unsatisfactory growth rates and, consequently, unsustained nutritional gains from the 1970s through the 1980s. Economic factors exerted a big impact on the Philippine nutrition situation, particularly on the dietary status of the households and the nutritional status of children. As a result of the economic dislocation occurring in the country, the nutritional gains of 1978-82 were not maintained in succeeding years. Unlike the case of Thailand, it has been estimated that the solution to nutritional problems in the Philippines is far from being achieved in the immediate future (Villavieja et al. 1989). On the other hand, the nutrition improvements in Thailand have been as remarkable as the economic growth over the last decade. Long-term investments in health, nutrition and other social services in Thailand (as well as in Indonesia) have paid off according to the assessment by the United Nations (1990). It appears, therefore, that the nutrition situation in developing countries is highly dependent on the economic situation, globally and nationally (Cornia et al. 1987), as well as on investment in social services. Adjustment policies should, therefore, consider their implications on distribution and poverty in order that they could positively contribute to the improvement of the nutrition of the people.
The 3-day seminar-workshop on 'Food-based Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Education' was held from 22-24 July 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to present the latest scientific information on nutrition and health and to discuss its impact on the rationale and process for the development of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG). The first two sessions were devoted to a review of the current information on the relation between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases, particularly obesity; the present health status and food consumption patterns in Malaysia; the current consensus on carbohydrates and fats and oils and the importance of considering the glycemic index of foods; and the importance of micronutrients in health and disease. The third and fourth sessions dealt with the rationale of FBDG and the process of their development, drawing from the 1990 FAO/WHO Consultation on Development of FBDG and the experience in the Philippines and in Europe. The importance of effective dissemination of nutrition messages to the public was thoroughhly discussed. The workshop sessions arrived at recommendations on important issues in the development of FBDG in the region, including main research and information needs, the steps in the development of FBDG, and strategies for their dissemination.