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Completed on 2026
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Westernized diet is used to describe the dietary habits of people in developed areas, in Europe and North
America. It is characterized by high intake of saturated and trans fats, processed foods, low dietary fibers, and added
sugars; and has become increasingly prevalent in many parts of the world. This kind of diet introduces high calorie
intake and low nutrient content, which leads to increased risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and other types of cancer. In the Philippines alone, 14.3% of the total food service are fast-
food chains (PSA, 2018). These fast-food chains offer varieties of westernized diet, patronized by the locals,
especially the school-aged children, for its accessibility, savory taste, and prompt food delivery. A meta-analysis has
demonstrated the relationship between fast food access and consumption, with several studies documenting
associations to obesity (Jia et al., 2019; Jia et al., 2023).
The gut microbiome refers to the assembly of microorganisms that resides in the human digestive tract. The
composition includes bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that play a very important role in maintaining a
balance system in the gut and to the human overall. These microorganisms in the gut aid in the digestion of food,
regulate the immune system, and produce necessary vitamins and nutrients needed for normal physiological
function. Studies on the association of diet to the gut microbiome composition of Asian school-aged children revealed
that children living in Japan have less diversified microbiota and with a high abundance of Bifidobacterium and a
smaller number of pathogenic bacteria - this may reflect their living conditions, environment, and unique diet
(Nakayama et al., 2015). In South Korea, school-aged children showed a transitional gut microbiota composition
(Kim et al., 2022), and obese children in Shanghai, China have a lower diversity of gut microbiota and lower number
of probiotics, they also had a high number of pathogenic bacteria which is associated with metabolic disorders and
metabolism rate reduction (Jiang et al., 2022). Taken together, the evidence shows that changing dietary trends in
Asian populations can strongly influence the composition of the gut microbiome. These changes in the gut
microbiome have profound effects on child health as these have been associated with the incidence of various
diseases such as pediatric asthma, recurrent C. difficile infections, inflammatory bowel disease and various
metabolic disorders (Ihekweazu & Versalovic, 2018). Gut microbiome alterations at the infant-level have been
associated with pathophysiologic changes that affect behavior and cognitive function (Yang et al., 2016).