Beyond the First One Thousand Days and Healthy Aging

Beyond the first one thousand days of life, the continued development of the human being with his or her lifestyle conditions and factors continue to play significant roles in reinforcing the risks for non-communicable diseases or act as important preventive measure to decrease risk factors.

A poor start to life is associated with an increased risk of a number of disorders, especially non-communicable diseases, throughout the life course. These disorders include cardio cerebrovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive lung disease, some forms of cancer and some mental illnesses.

The rapid decline in mortality rates in early periods of life, and the strong commitment to prevention have made tremendous strides. However, major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), primarily cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and obesity, with are still collectively responsible for 85% of deaths and 70% of the burden of disease worldwide. This complex scenario will continue to tax not only human suffering, but also the systems with the heavy economic burden which, for many countries will put in peril the very fabric of their societies.

The knowledge of lifestyle choices, individual responsibility, and how to best design life conditions to maximize the benefits of primary prevention is fundamental to preempting any potential challenges. The Lorenzini Foundation will actively pursue interdisciplinary activities, while involving partners in these sectors, to design these vital developmental pathways towards the healthy aging process beyond the beginning of life, and by educating the individual towards Health Literacy.