Globalisation and the Epigenetic Landscape

Abstract

One of the most inspirational books by Tony McMichael has been Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease. In the present chapter, I expand on some of the thoughts that book put forward. There are a few good examples of how environmental changes have modified the genetic make-up of some populations. It is likely, however, that much more important changes have taken place and will take place in humankind's epigenetic landscape, i.e. acquired and transgenerationally transmissible changes in DNA expression. A mounting body of evidence on the importance of epigenetic changes related, for instance, to in utero dietary exposures or deficiencies is now available. The past 30-40 years have seen unprecedented modifications in markets, industrial food availability and other aspects of lifestyle. Is it plausible that these changes could have an enduring effect on humankind's epigenetic landscape? In this chapter, I review some of the existing evidence.