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The Western Pattern Diet is a modern dietary pattern generally characterized by higher intakes of red and processed meat, butter, high-fat dairy products, eggs, refined grains, white potatoes, and high-sugar drinks.[1] In contrast, a healthy diet found in the same populations has higher portions of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, poultry and fish.[2][3] The modern Western pattern diet was brought about by fundamental lifestyle changes following the Neolithic Revolution, and later, the Industrial revolution.[4]

Elements

Americans consume more than 13% of their daily calories in the form of added sugars. Beverages such as flavored water, soft drinks, and sweetened caffeinated beverages make up 47% of these added sugars.

Americans ages 1 and above consume significantly more added sugars, oils, saturated fats, and sodium than recommended in the Dietary Guidelines outlined by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 89% of Americans consume more sodium than recommended. Additionally, excessive consumption of oils, saturated fats, and added sugars is seen in 72%, 71%, and 70% of the American population, respectively.

Consumers began turning to margarine due to concerns over the high levels of saturated fats found in butter. By 1958, margarine had become more commonly consumed than butter, with the average American consuming 8.9 pounds of margarine per year. Margarine is produced by refining vegetable oils, a process that introduces trans elaidic acid not found naturally in food. The consumption of trans fatty acids such as trans elaidic acid has been linked to cardiovascular disease. By 2005, margarine consumption had fallen below butter consumption due to the risks associated with trans fat intake.

Vegetable consumption is low among Americans, with only 13% of the population consuming the recommended amounts. Boys ages 9 to 13 and girls ages 14 to 18 consume the lowest amounts of vegetables relative to the general population. Potatoes and tomatoes, which are key components of many meals, account for 39% of the vegetables consumed by Americans. 60% of vegetables are consumed individually, 30% are included as part of a dish, and 10% are found in sauces.

Whole grains should consist of over half of total grain consumption, and refined grains should not exceed half of total grain consumption. However, 85.3% of the cereals eaten by Americans are produced with refined grains, where the germ and bran are removed. Grain refining increases shelf life and softens breads and pastries; however, the process of refining decreases its nutritional quality.

History

The Western diet present in today’s world is a consequence of the Neolithic revolution and Industrial revolutions. These two events changed the nutritional profile of the foods consumed by human ancestors. The Neolithic revolution introduced the staple foods of the western diet, including domesticated meats, sugar, alcohol, salt, cereal grains, and dairy products . The modern Western diet emerged after the Industrial Revolution, which introduced new methods of food processing; one practice that emerged as a result was the replacement of sugar with high-fructose corn syrup. In addition, advancements in food processing added cereals, refined sugars, and refined vegetable oils to the Western diet, and also increased the fat content of domesticated meats. Research suggests that the relative recency of this dietary pattern’s emergence (approx. 11,000 years ago) causes evolutionary discordance; because human genes have had little time to genetically adapt to a new diet, people have become more vulnerable to certain diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, acne, and myopia.