New Dietary Patterns across the World and Their Consequences on Growth and Development

In the past, studies linking diet to health have mainly concentrated on individual nutrients and specific health outcomes. However, humans consume food as a whole, not just isolated nutrients. Since the early 2000s, there has been a shift in assessing dietary exposures, moving away from singular nutrients or foods and toward analyzing dietary patterns. This approach aims to capture the entirety of the diet and its nutrient profiles. Identifying dietary patterns may reveal stronger associations with specific health indicators and provide a more comprehensive understanding of how nutrients and other bioactive substances in food are consumed, and how consumption patterns affect health outcomes. Consequently, dietary patterns that include foods and beverages associated with improved health and reduced risk of chronic diseases are often considered indicators of a high-quality diet. Dietary patterns can also be influenced by environmental, cultural, and social factors. However, with changing times, new dietary patterns have emerged, some of which have spread globally due to factors such as immigration, technology, and media. Unfortunately, some of these patterns come with misleading health claims. This chapter aims to identify current trendy dietary patterns and examine their effects on the growth and development of children.