LAUSR

Welcome to the first edition of the new look Nutrition and Health, an international online peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the evermore fascinating interplay between food, diet and nutrition and their influence on human health. Undoubtedly the interest, debate and controversy surrounding nutrition and health has exploded exponentially over recent decades, with scientific research conducted in this field having made great strides in more recent years. Nutrition clearly matters, regardless of whether you are old or young, large or small, sedentary or an elite athlete; this is particularly clear when looking at the many human diseases that have a dietary or nutritional component, as evidenced by studies such as the Global Burden of Disease Study. Of particular global interest are those diet and nutrition-related conditions that link to either excess or deficient dietary intake, including obesity, under-nutrition and eating disorders, or indeed those that indirectly relate to other chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Given this, we at Nutrition and Health believe that there is significant scope to develop a high-quality journal in this area, which provides a platform for academic discussion and debate, along with the furtherance and continued professional development of its readership. At the heart of this is our aim to provide a platform, over time, for high-quality research at the forefront of our discipline and to provide the context necessary to generate meaningful outcomes in relation to the wide-ranging influence of nutrition on human health and disease. As such, the journal now welcomes the submission of original investigations, short communications, reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, protocols, commentaries, hypotheses and case studies on current topics relating to the full spectrum of the effects of diet and nutrition on health and disease. Through these means the journal will raise awareness of the important interrelationships among nutrition, exercise, physical activity and lifestyle for improving health across the lifespan, and demonstrate how healthcare outcomes and policies can be improved with the adoption of a more nutrition-oriented approach. In this way it aspires to provide an invaluable resource to nutrition and healthcare practitioners, as well as researchers and academics. Whilst the focus of the journal is firmly based around human nutrition, we remain committed to the publication of animal, cellular and molecular-based studies where they can shed light on a particular mechanism or treatment modality pertinent to the human condition. At Nutrition and Health, we are keen to stress that we will consider the publication of studies showing negative and non-findings on an equal basis with those studies showing positive findings, where there is scientific merit in the approach taken. In addition, we are keen to support well-conducted replication studies in an attempt to validate the findings of prior research. Inevitably it will take some time for the journal to fully establish itself as a highly respected journal in this field, and central to this is the establishment of a high-quality, rigorous peer-review process overseen by an enthusiastic, energetic and experienced Editorial Board. The structure of the Editorial Board is developing and we are seeking to appoint further Associate Editors who share our ambitions for the journal. If this is you, then we would certainly like to hear from you! Even more vital than this is, of course, the quality of the content that we publish, which will rely exclusive on the endeavours of our authors. As such, the Editorial Board and I invite you to submit your manuscripts in this most fascinating of areas.