Approved research

Exploring mechanistic dietary patterns for obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease

Lay summary

Dietary pattern scores based on the combination of all foods eaten represent the overall balance of a person's diet. It's unknown whether a dietary pattern designed to predict obesity would also predict risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary heart disease (CHD). We will find dietary patterns most strongly related to particular nutrients or biomarker on the pathway to obesity, T2D and CHD to see if foods underlying these conditions are similar or if disease-specific dietary guidance is better. We'll also explore how dietary patterns vary by season, social status and geography in the UK. We aim to generate evidence for the development of optimal dietary guidelines, whether general or disease specific, for the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.