In recent years, in order to cater to the needs of the public, ultraprocessed foods (UPF) has gradually become popular and become an indispensable part of people's daily diet, so the discussion about ultra-processed foods has also attracted much attention, but more and more voices are more inclined: ultra-processed foods are harmful to health!
What is a super-processed food? Simply put, it refers to food that is processed on top of food that has already been processed. For example, instant noodles, sausages, potato chips, ice cream, egg tarts, donuts, biscuits and carbonated drinks that are often eaten in daily life are all ultra-processed foods.
Recently, a multinational study of children and adolescents published in Objective, "Ultraprocessed food consumption and dietary nutrient profiles associated with obesity: A multicountry study of children and adolescents" Articulating that the consumption of ultra-processed foods is a potential determinant of childhood and adolescent obesity, effective global policies are urgently needed to curb growing consumption of ultra-processed foods and address childhood obesity.
Research Results (Source: Obesity)
Using nationally representative data collected between 2004 and 2014, the study assessed the relationship between the dietary share of ultra-processed foods for children and adolescents in eight countries, argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States, with their average dietary energy density (kcal/g) and their free sugars (as a percentage of total energy intake) and fiber content (g/1000 kcal), conducted in three age groups: preschoolers (2-5 years). School-age children (6-11 years) and adolescents (12-19 years).
In this study, dietary intake data was processed by the corresponding food ingredient database in each country, and the dietary share of ultra-processed foods was set at one-fifth of age-specific consumption, with all foods recorded systematically classified according to the NOVA classification system. (Note: NOVA is a food classification system based on the nature, extent and purpose of industrial food processing, which divides food into four categories: G1 unprocessed or minimally processed foods, G2 processed cooking ingredients, G3 processed foods, and G4 ultra-processed foods).
Compared to previous population-based studies, this study shows that ultra-processed foods have a higher share of the diets of children and adolescents than adults. With the exception of Chile and Mexico, preschoolers are the largest consumers of ultra-processed foods, while school-age children and adolescents in the remaining countries are the largest consumers.
In Colombia and Brazil, ultra-processed foods account for 18% and 25% of total calorie intake for children and adolescents, respectively; in Argentina, Mexico and Chile, ultra-processed foods account for 27% to 44% of total calorie intake; and in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, 47%-68% of calories come from ultra-processed foods (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Analysis of total energy intake by country and age group by NOVA classification system (Source: Obesity)
Studies have found negative effects of ultra-processed foods on the diets of children and adolescents. In most of the countries and age groups studied, as the contribution of ultra-processed foods to total energy intake increased, the average dietary energy density and the average content of free sugars also increased, while the average content of fiber decreased (Figure 2).
Figure 2 Share of ultra-processed foods by country and three age groups (Source: Obesity)
Note: Average dietary energy density of A, B, and C; average free sugar content of D, E, and F; average fiber content of G, H, and I
Finally, the study further assessed the effect of a 10% increase in the dietary share of ultra-processed foods on dietary nutritional status (including dietary energy density, free sugars and fiber content) in each country and three age groups, and found that an increase in the dietary share of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increase in energy density and free sugars, as well as a decrease in fiber content, indicating that consumption of ultra-processed foods was a potential determinant of obesity in children and adolescents.
The study is the first to use nationally representative data from different regions and countries to analyze the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and dietary nutritional status and obesity in children and adolescents, demonstrating that poor dietary nutritional status of ultra-processed foods may be an important driver of childhood obesity epidemics. However, the actual mechanism by which ultra-processed foods increase the risk of obesity is not fully established.
The findings can be used as a basis for policy action to address the growing global consumption of ultra-processed foods and the growing problem of childhood obesity.
Written by | Zhang Xiaoqing
Typography | Luna
End
Resources:
[1] Neri D, Steele EM, Khandpur N, et al. Ultraprocessed food consumption and dietary nutrient profiles associated with obesity: A multicountry study of children and adolescents. Obes Rev. 2021 Dec 9:e13387. doi: 10.1111/obr.13387. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34889015.
This article is a biological exploration original, welcome to forward and share. If any other media or website needs to be reprinted, the source of biological exploration must be indicated in front of the main text.