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• The Western diet is a contemporary eating pattern characterized by a high intake of processed foods, refined grains, red and processed meats, sugary drinks, sweets, fried meals, conventionally produced animal products, high-fat dairy, and high-fructose foods.
• Higher education was generally linked to greater consumption of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and plant oils, but not always to lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and red/processed meat.
• To improve population health, policy measures should support increased intake of health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds, while reducing the intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary beverages.
• Foods that can cause inflammation include refined carbohydrates (white bread, pastries), processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meat.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Respondents in Kenitra reported the most frequent intake of animal proteins, including fish, milk, dairy products, eggs, white meats, and red meats, as well as sugary drinks, fast foods, and salty snacks.
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Risks related to dietary composition in the 2021 Global Nutrition Report analysis included low intake of fruits (2.8 million deaths), whole grains (2.3 million), vegetables (1.7 million), legumes (1.5 million), nuts and seeds (1.0 million), and high intake of red meat (980,000), processed meat (880,000), and sugar-sweetened beverages (290,000).
• Across the world's 25 most populous countries in 2018, there was a 100-fold difference in sodium scores, a 90-fold difference in red/processed meat scores, and a 23-fold difference in sugar-sweetened beverage scores.
• In 2018, the highest global AHEI component scores for unhealthier items (indicating lowest or most favourable intakes) were for sugar-sweetened beverages (5.8) and red/processed meat (4.8).
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• South Asia exhibits relatively high diet diversity due to high consumption of whole grains and low intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and red/processed meat.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• The Western diet is characterized by four key components: high consumption of processed foods, excessive intake of red meat, high intake of sugary beverages and sweets, and low intake of fruits and vegetables.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• Foods categorized as high-inflammatory include red meat, processed meat, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and white rice), snack foods, desserts, and sweetened beverages like soft drinks.
• The Western Pattern Diet is characterized by a high intake of processed and convenience foods, including large quantities of butter, high-fructose corn syrup, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, red meats, eggs, potatoes, refined grains, and sugary beverages.
• To combat chronic inflammation, individuals should avoid consuming red meat, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and muffins), fried foods, and sugary drinks.
• A quarter of all deaths among adults globally are attributable to poor diets, defined as diets low in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• High consumption of refined carbohydrates, processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meat contributes to weight gain, which is a risk factor for inflammation.
• In 2018, the highest dietary pattern scores were identified in low-income countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, driven by relatively low consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and red/processed meats.
• Foods that may promote inflammation include red meat, processed meats (such as lunchmeats, sausage, and bacon), store-bought baked goods (such as cakes, pies, brownies, and cupcakes), bread and pasta made from white flour, fried foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, foods with added sugar (such as jam or syrup), and foods with trans fats (such as margarine, microwave popcorn, and nondairy creamer).
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.