Food patterns: As important as nutrients for the prevention of chronic disease

The use of food patterns to study dietary intake and their contribution to effective public health messages is discussed. Food patterns are considered as important as nutrients for the preservation of chronic diseases. Food patterns assessment offers a novel way to capture and describe complex nature of dietary intake and reflect behavioral as well as biological dietary exposure. The MRC National Survey of Health and Development has revealed three dietary patterns among women, while only two were observed for men.