Nutritional risk factors for coronary heart disease in South African medical students.

The African population in South Africa is undergoing relatively rapid transition in lifestyle, with increasing proneness to western diseases. At the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), the majority of the African students come from homes where mainly cereal‐based diets are eaten. They are now exposed to ‘western’ foods. To throw light on the subsequent changes, between 1989 and 1993, 383 third year students underwent a practical course on nutritional assessment, which included determinations of anthropometry, 3 days’ estimated dietary intake record, and serum lipid analysis. Results indicated that their dietary risk levels for western diseases were now approaching the high levels prevailing in white populations. While the likelihood of influencing African students to meaningfully conform to a ‘prudent’ diet and lifestyle is remote, every endeavour must be made to fully inform them of the benefits likely to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]