Changing food patterns in developing countries: Income is related to Body Mass Index (BMI) and nutritional status among the urban and rural population of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background: The emerging co-existence of underweight and overweight is one of the major international public health concerns. In developing countries traditional dietary patterns are increasingly replaced by western food patterns. Rapid urbanization and the increasing numbers of megacities influence the poverty structure as well as the distribution and accessibility of food. The objective of this study is to show the interdependence between raised income and improved dietary patterns and nutritional intake in Dhaka. Method: Baseline data from a prospective cohort study, conducted in Dhaka and adjacent rural area…