The 57th Nestlé Pediatric Nutrition Workshop assembled a panel of leading international scientists in order to assess and extend the current state of knowledge on the long-term effects of early nutrition. Prevention of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cancer and the metabolic syndrome, by early nutrition intervention is the declared goal of this kind of research. Single papers deal with dietary effects on mental and motor impairment, the epidemical aspects of obesity, the complexity of the relationship between birth weight and adult BMI, the importance for primary prevention in childhood diabetes, the potential of nutritional prevention of osteoporosis, the nutritional key influences on cancer, and the surprising link between cancer and obesity, and many more. Complex, multifaceted and contradictory health outcomes of early nutrition elements clearly show that genetic or environmental interactions have to be taken into account, and compromises have to be found to establish a good balance of risks and benefits for the wide range of different health issues which depend on nutrition and early nutrition in particular.