Lifelong impact of nutrition in the first thousand days after conception

Chronic non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide, accompanied by severe impairment of quality of life and huge cost of medical care. Take the Netherlands, for example: in a population of about 17 million, about a million adults have Type 2 diabetes. Close to 4 million are on lifelong medication for hypertension. Over a million take statins every day to reduce their cholesterol levels. Almost half of the population is overweight or obese (statistics Netherlands, 2012). Those with a relatively low socioeconomic position are at increased risk. Prevention, targeting high-risk groups and individuals, is a necessity.