The rising burden of chronic diseases and mental health disorders is deeply rooted in our environments, the food we eat, and the experiences we’re exposed to from early life onward. This Resource Kit explores how epigenetic science, dietary environments, and social determinants converge to shape long-term health outcomes—often starting before birth and continuing across generations.

From the lasting impact of early-life nutrition and toxin exposure on gene expression to the role of ultra-processed food marketing and limited access to healthy choices in driving obesity and diabetes, the kit highlights the systemic factors influencing today's health crises. It also addresses the growing mental health epidemic, examining how poverty, social isolation, and stigma create barriers to care—and what communities can do to break them.