In the Preface to this volume, the authors state: "This book reviews the nutritional observations, research findings, developments, and needs as revealed by studies in several countries of the Arab Middle East." They go on to say that much of the material included may be unavailable to outsiders since it exists in unpublished reports. Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Iraq are the geographical areas considered.
The book is somewhat more than a review of nutritional findings. The first two chapters set the stage for discussions of specific nutritional problems with a description of the lands and their peoples, the kinds and amounts of food available, agricultural practices, and the prospects for increasing the locally produced food supply. The last three chapters relate the diets of the population groups to the nutritional defects observed and suggest means of prevention.
The interplay among international agencies (such as World Health Organization/Food and