#Foodsecurity

A recent Pew Research Center survey paints a clear picture of how rising food prices and evolving lifestyles influence healthy eating in 2025. The findings show that taste, convenience, affordability, and health are all weighing into daily choices. For Thai readers, the study offers valuable parallels as Thailand faces similar nutrition challenges and ongoing public health campaigns.

As food prices rise, 90% of adults surveyed in the United States acknowledge that healthy food has become more expensive. About 70% say price increases make it harder to maintain a healthy diet, with lower-income individuals feeling the squeeze most. The study included 5,123 adults and highlights how affordability, access, and knowledge shape dietary health amid rising obesity, abundant delivery options, and shifting dietary guidance from social media influencers. The research is reported through national institutions and public health experts.

A recent analysis by leading nutrition researchers has sounded an alarm about a growing deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids worldwide, a shift that experts warn may have broad and potentially lasting consequences for public health. With more than 85% of surveyed populations now failing to meet recommended omega-3 intake, researchers say modern diets, environmental change, and ocean pollution have dramatically undermined access to this essential nutrient (Earth.com).

Omega-3 fatty acids—long heralded for their roles in heart, brain, and eye health—are a cornerstone of a balanced human diet. For Thai readers, who live in a nation rich in seafood traditions, these findings raise new questions about the sustainability of trusted food sources and the best strategies to promote lifelong wellbeing. Nutrition scientists highlight omega-3 as crucial to preventing cardiovascular disease, supporting memory and mood, and facilitating the healthy function of cells throughout the body. According to a research scientist with Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, “This has serious and widespread health implications.”

A new analysis highlights a rising global deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, a trend that could have lasting effects on public health. More than 85% of surveyed populations are not meeting recommended omega-3 intake, with modern diets, environmental change, and ocean pollution constraining access to this essential nutrient. Research by leading nutrition scientists emphasizes the urgency of addressing this gap, especially for countries with strong seafood traditions like Thailand.

Omega-3s are vital for heart, brain, and eye health. For Thai readers, the findings prompt questions about the sustainability of trusted food sources and practical steps to safeguard lifelong wellbeing. Experts note omega-3’s key role in preventing cardiovascular disease, supporting memory and mood, and maintaining healthy cellular function. A senior scientist from Case Western Reserve University describes the implications as broad and significant.

The ongoing debate about the nutritional value and social implications of baby food pouches has taken on renewed urgency following recent research by the University of Leeds, which revealed that 41% of main meals marketed for children contain excessive sugar, while 21% of ready-to-eat products are deemed too watery to provide adequate nutrition (The Guardian). While some public health advocates warn about rising childhood obesity and tooth decay linked to ultra-processed foods (UPFs), others argue that the conversation is often weaponised to intensify “maternal guilt” rather than meaningfully address broader issues affecting parents’ lives.

A renewed focus on baby food pouches highlights how nutrition, parenting demands, and social expectations intersect in modern life. Recent research from the University of Leeds found that 41% of main meals marketed for children contain high sugar, while 21% of ready-to-eat products may be too watery to provide adequate nutrition. Public health voices warn about links to childhood obesity and dental issues, but critics argue the discussion often targets mothers rather than addressing broader systemic challenges.

Global efforts to combat childhood malnutrition are facing a dangerous setback as disruptions in US government funding threaten the distribution of Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) that has transformed survival rates for severely malnourished children. Experts warn that millions could be left without this critical lifeline, triggering renewed concern across regions already suffering humanitarian emergencies.

For families like those in northeastern Nigeria, the stakes are heartbreakingly clear. After losing her husband to violence and fleeing her village, one mother found her two-year-old son failing to thrive on inadequate rations in a displaced persons camp. It was only after receiving Plumpy’Nut—an energy-dense peanut paste fortified with vitamins and minerals—that her son rapidly recovered from acute malnutrition, illustrating the product’s vital role on the frontlines of humanitarian care (source: NPR).

A global effort to combat childhood malnutrition faces a dangerous disruption as U.S. funding shifts threaten the distribution of Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food that has dramatically improved survival for severely malnourished children. Experts warn that millions could lose access to this critical lifeline, intensifying humanitarian strain in regions already under pressure.

In northeastern Nigeria, a mother who fled violence with her two-year-old son recalls the turning point. Her child, once stunted by inadequate rations in a displacement camp, rapidly recovered after receiving Plumpy’Nut, a nutrient-dense peanut paste fortified with vitamins and minerals. This example underscores the program’s frontline importance in emergency settings.

A rapid global spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus is heightening concerns about Thailand’s poultry sector, food prices, and public health. A March briefing by FAO researchers warns that outbreaks could disrupt supply chains, raise costs, and strain health systems in a country that is both a major producer and a key tourist destination.

Worldwide culling has reached hundreds of millions of birds. Mammal infections are increasing, raising vigilance for any spillover into people. For Thailand, these dynamics threaten farm livelihoods, local markets, and the broader tourism economy that depends on safe, affordable food and stable rural incomes.