Nutrition provides the essential building blocks for human health. Although there
is enough food on the planet to feed all its inhabitants, inequality in access to food
poses serious threats to humanity. Poor nutrition, especially during critical periods
of human development, permanently affects the structure and function of organs
with lasting adverse consequences for an individual’s susceptibility to disease,
not only affecting the individual but society as a whole with considerable loss of
human capital.
This chapter summarises the evidence from studies investigating the effects
of prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine on later mental and physical health.