The development of a society is interrelated with research activities. Innovation in food and nutritional sciences enabled industrialised countries to live in conditions of food security, nevertheless there are huge health problems, e.g. the diseases of affluence. In order to reach current dietary goals related to health and sustainability, which are approved by scientific research, it is necessary to understand principles of human (nutrition) behaviour.

In the retrospective research revealed that nutrition policy has to consider the biopsychosocial background of human behaviour. Nutrition programs cannot be based solely on individual behaviour and this cannot be directed only by cognitive measures; but social-marketing approaches have to be integrated. Some comments of the process of diffusion of such findings into practise are presented with emphasis to Germany and in relation to activities of the AGEV (Working Association for Nutritional Behaviour), which was founded 25 years ago. An example of the impact of nutrition behaviour research in nutrition policy, is the development towards of food-group based dietary recommendations. Another one can be found in international guidelines for public health (nutrition), like those of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

In the prospective the importance of application of findings on nutrition behaviour research, should become more important, since there is a tendency of increasing nutritional problems: e.g. the increasing prevalence of obesity in children and the estrangement on food and nutrition. ("Entfremdung"; "Gastroanomy"). It is a challenge for nutrition research, but also for the society, to recognise the relevance of behaviour research for political orientation.