Our fast foods also remove us from the pleasures of creating and savoring a wonderful meal, and our fast pace often prevents us from connecting over a good, slow meal. What is the connection between food and disease? As a society we are facing significant health problems. The United States ranks ninth in life expectancy among nations in the developed world. We have a workforce plagued with absenteeism and reduced productivity because of chronic health problems, including depression. 78 percent of healthcare expenditures are for the treatment of chronic disease. Many researchers now believe that these problems are partly related to diet. And the food we eat is an important factor in that dysfunction, in part because our diets lack the necessary balance of nutrients (Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2004). Learn about specific nutrients you need and how to get them To prevent the onset of these diseases, we need to know how multiple nutrients in a diet interact and affect the ...