A faulty diet in 2016 played a crucial role in every fifth death. This emerges from one of the largest health studies published in the journal The Lancet (Global Burden of Disease, 2016). Diet-related illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes mellitus are widespread in many countries - with an upward trend. This allows science to intensify research into causes, new therapeutic approaches and new concepts. Since 2015, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding more than 21 million euros in four competence clusters in nutrition research with the common goal of improving the long-term health status of the population.