Western pattern diet

The Western pattern diet (WPD) is the typical diet of people in the United States and other Western cultures. Western civilization or culture refers to societies that are in or heavily influenced by Europe, in particular the Roman Empire. Many countries that were formerly colonies of Great Britain, such as the United States and Australia, are Western cultures. The WPD consists of large amounts of butter, corn, high-fructose corn syrup, eggs, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, potatoes, prepackaged foods, processed and red meats, refined grains, and sugary beverages. The diet is high in salt, sugar, saturated fats, and animal protein, while whole grains, fiber, fruits, and vegetables are often scarce or missing from this diet. The diet has been found to contribute to obesity as well as health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Many items on fast-food restaurant menus, such as french fries, burgers, sodas, shakes, and fried chicken nuggets, are typical of the WPD.

While it is often associated with the United States, WPD is increasingly common in many other developed countries. It is part of a global trend in which people whose incomes rise choose more meat and calories in their diet. In some cases, they have ample supplies of food but are malnourished because of the choices they make or the limited choices available to them. Processed foods have low nutritional value but typically a high caloric content.

At the same time, people in general are less active than previous generations, which contributes to obesity and other health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, more than 1.9 billion, or 39 percent, of adults were overweight; 650 million, or 13 percent, were obese, meaning they had a body mass index of 30 or more. Worldwide obesity had almost tripled since 1975.

Background

Two million years ago, hominins (very early humans) were hunters and gatherers. Their diet included a variety of fruits, grasses, nuts, seeds, and tubers. At first, they did not have tools and weapons for hunting, so for meat they relied on small game or scavenged predators’ kills. Later hominins, such as Neanderthals, used stone and bone tools. They were able to hunt larger animals and added more meat to their diet.

About two hundred thousand years ago, Homo sapiens arrived. They developed more refined tools, such as fish hooks, the bow and arrow, and harpoons. They were able to increase the variety of foods in their diet and make better clothing and shelters. This allowed them to expand their range.

Prehistoric human brains grew larger over time as they had access to more nutritious food, including greater amounts of protein. They learned about the seasons and the growth cycle of plants. This knowledge enabled them to understand how to grow plants themselves, and starting about twelve thousand years ago, they began to gradually develop agricultural societies. They settled in villages and were able to rely mostly on their own food supplies, which were crops and later livestock. The latter allowed them to add dairy to their diet.

Most human populations on Earth had completed this transition to reliance on domesticated food sources by 1500 CE. Some research indicates that this shift from a mostly plant-based gathered diet to a domesticated diet occurred rapidly by evolutionary time standards. This swift change may not have provided human bodies with enough time to adjust, which could be a factor in the greater incidence of chronic diseases in Western civilizations.

The Industrial Revolution, which began during the late eighteenth century, greatly changed societies in many Western countries. Populations rapidly moved from rural agricultural communities to urban settings. People living in cities had fewer opportunities to purchase fresh foods. Food processing also became industrialized. For example, before the Industrial Revolution, cereal grains were ground using stone milling tools, and the resulting flour contained the complete grain. Mechanized steel roller mills and automated sifting devices were invented late in the nineteenth century; this mass-production processing of grains removed the nutritious germ and bran from flour. The WPD began to emerge during the Industrial Revolution and continued to progress. For example, during the 1970s, researchers developed methods to mass-produce high-fructose corn syrup, which quickly became a common sweetener in many processed foods.

Overview

The US Department of Agriculture reported in 2015 that about 75 percent of Americans’ diets were low in dairy, fruits, oils, and vegetables. Most Americans also consumed more saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars than recommended, and consumed too many calories. This is typical of the WPD.

The prevalence of so-called deserts in urban communities has contributed to people being on this diet. Many urban neighborhoods have no grocery stores where people can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead, these communities rely on fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, where the majority of the food is processed. Studies have found that residents of these neighborhoods experience many health problems including obesity and diabetes.

The WPD has been found to contribute to a number of health problems. Among these are colon and prostate cancer. Men who mostly follow a Western diet are 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer. Studies have found that processed foods adversely affect the gut biome, which contains both beneficial and harmful microbes. Following a WPD results in fewer beneficial microbes; researchers believe the resulting increase in harmful microbes is linked to colon cancer.

Health experts suggest that parents help children develop healthy eating habits from infancy. This helps to ensure proper nutrition and teaches them to make good food choices for themselves as they grow older. Provide children with healthy items, such as fresh fruits and unsweetened juice or vegetable sticks, rather than processed snacks such as chips and cakes. Choose unsweetened yogurts, low-fat milk, and low-fat, low-sodium cheeses. Many families opt for more meatless meals, substituting beans or other plant proteins once a week or more.

For other families, however, poor eating habits have been established. Experts recommend changing eating patterns by making gradual shifts in food choices over time. For example, a small increase in the amount of whole grains in the diet adds fiber and reduces the amount of processed food; parents may choose whole-grain wraps or breads when making sandwiches or use whole-grain pastas. A gradual reduction in the amount of red meat can be offset by an increase in fish, chicken, or plant proteins. Adding larger quantities of vegetables to soups, stews, and casseroles increases fiber and nutrients. Unsweetened fruit salad can replace pie or cake as dessert, while a sliced apple with nut butter is a healthier snack option than a sweetened, processed fruit bar or sugary sports drink.

Bibliography

Afshin, Ashkan, et. al. “Health Effects of Dietery Risks in 195 Countries, 1990 – 2017: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.” The Lancet, vol. 393, no. 10184, 11 May 2019, pp. 1958–1972, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

Cordain, L., et. al. “Origins and Evolution of the Western Diet: Implications for the 21st Century.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 81, no. 2, Feb. 2005, pp. 341 – 54, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15699220. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“The Effects on Health of Different Diets (e.g. ‘Western’ Diet).” Health Knowledge, www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/disease-causation-diagnostic/2e-health-social-behaviour/effect-health-different-diets. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

Newcombe, Tod. “Cities’ Access to Fresh Food Worsens.” Governing, May 2011, www.governing.com/columns/urban-notebook/Cities-Access-to-Fresh-Food-Worsens.html. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

Senthilingam, Meera. “Step Away from the Burger: Why a ‘Western’ Diet Is Bad for Your Health.” CNN, 7 July 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/health/western-diet-health/index.html. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“Current Eating Patterns in the United States.” US Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines 2015 – 2020, 2015, health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/chapter-2/current-eating-patterns-in-the-united-states/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“Obesity.” World Health Organization, 2020, www.who.int/topics/obesity/en/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“Unhealthy Diet.” World Health Organization, 2020, www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk‗factors/unhealthy‗diet‗text/en/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.