Correlations between nutrition and the frequency of acute and chronic pancreatitis, respectively, have been studied in 24 centres in 16 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. In these countries, consumption of ethanol, fat, proteins, and carbohydrates varies from the lowest to the highest rates. It appears that the geographical distribution of chronic calcifying pancreatitis can be linked with alcoholism, especially in countries with a high-protein, high-fat diet. It also has a high incidence in countries where there is malnutrition (primarily in the form of protein deficiency): the disease occurs in these areas at an early age.