"While things like heart disease and cancer affect people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, the very early stages happen several decades before."
This delayed effect is true for saturated fat and cholesterol consumption leading to heart disease, sodium consumption leading to hypertension and the consumption of high glycemic index foods leading to diabetes.
Poor nutrition in our teens and twenties has its life threatening effect a generation later.
The shortages cited in the article can be remedied with daily multi-vitamin and calcium carbonate pills.
“This delayed effect is true for saturated fat and cholesterol consumption leading to heart disease”
You need to read some more recent information about this. Saturated fat and cholesterol are not the cause of heart disease.
“sodium consumption leading to hypertension”
This has been disproven many years ago. There is a very small percentage of people who have a sensitivity to excess sodium leading to hypertension.
“the consumption of high glycemic index foods leading to diabetes”
That, and overeating in general, can lead to type II diabetes.