Abstract
This report summarizes the scope of ideas introduced and debated at the first meeting on public nutrition, convened in Montreal as a Satellite Meeting of the 16th International Congress of Nutrition in the summer of 1997. Consensus was reached, in principle, on the issue of definition and why defining the field was necessary. from this emerged strategic themes related to advocacy, capacity building, training, and research, along with future collaboration for generating momentum for the field. Proposed follow-up strategies include explorations of national and regional networks and meetings, systematic advocacy to raise the profile and clarify issues in public nutrition, and curriculum development to provide adequate training for professionals in the field.