This multi-country study investigated dietary patterns in European children (n=1597 in childhood, n=803 in adolescence) and their association with adiposity. Data-driven dietary patterns ('Meat', 'Dairy', 'Western', 'Healthy', 'Sweets and fats') were derived using food frequency questionnaires. Norwegian children exhibited better diet quality than those from Lithuania. Lower intake of healthy foods was linked to higher adiposity, with low 'Healthy pattern' adherence associated with increased adolescent BMI and waist-to-height ratio. Low 'Dairy pattern' adherence was associated with lower childhood BMI and fat mass, but not in adolescence. The KIDMED index showed no significant associations. Poor diets are prevalent among European children, and a healthy dietary pattern is crucial for preventing excess weight gain.

Sarah Warkentin, Nikos Stratakis, Lorenzo Fabbri, John Wright, Tiffany C. Yang, Maria Bryant, Barbara Heude, Remy Slama, Parisa Montazeri, Marina Vafeiadi, Regina Grazuleviciene, Anne Lise Brantsæter, Martine Vrijheid