Too Much Ultraprocessed Foods

 

Although pediatricians have been battling the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity for more than two decades, the results of a new study examining the eating habits of American children weren’t all that surprising to many of us:

From 1999 to 2018, the estimated percentage of total energy from consumption of ultraprocessed foods increased from 61.4% to 67.0% (difference, 5.6%), whereas the percentage of total energy from consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods decreased from 28.8% to 23.5% (difference, −5.3%).

 

Come again?

Two-thirds of the calories consumed by a child in America come from foods and beverages that are highly processed (in other words, not real food). Kristen Monaco tells us what “ultraprocessed” means:

Ultraprocessed foods are defined as pre-made ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods, and are mainly made up of refined ingredients with additives and little whole foods. As such, this category often is high in sugar, trans fat, sodium, and refined starch, and subsequently low in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Ultraprocessed foods include sweetened breakfast cereals, flavored potato chips, energy drinks, and flavored granola bars with added sugar and preservatives.

 

Ultraprocessed foods also include “ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat mixed dishes like takeout, frozen pizza and burgers,” as well as a variety of sweets, says Janel Miller, who found a ray of light in an otherwise dark report: youth intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (sodas, fruit drinks, and energy drinks) was slashed in half.

The researchers observed a decrease in the estimated percentage of energy from sugar-sweetened beverages, which declined from 10.8% to 5.3% (difference, 5.5%), and from processed fats and oils, condiments and sauces, which declined from 7.1% to 4% (difference = 3.1%).

 

Despite the good news, sugar intake is still a big problem in the struggle against obesity, says Monaco:

Sweets and sweet snacks — sweet bakery products, ice cream, desserts, candy, cereal, and nutrition bars — also became more popular choices among U.S. youth, with consumption significantly increasing from 10.7% to 12.9%.

 

The study also found racial and ethnic disparities in America’s youthful diversity:

There was a significantly larger increase in the estimated percentage of energy from consumption of ultraprocessed foods among non-Hispanic Black youths (from 62.2% to 72.5%; difference, 10.3%) and Mexican American youths (from 55.8% to 63.5%; difference, 7.6%) than the increase among non-Hispanic White youths (from 63.4% to 68.6%; difference, 5.2%).

 

Parents everywhere should take a long, hard look at what they are buying and eating, since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree:

A previously published study revealed multiple factors that influence children’s eating habits, including parents’ attitudes toward type and amount of food consumed, how often families eat together, family income level, whether a child was breastfed and frequency of exposure to television commercials for unhealthy foods.

 

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source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/09/21/too-much-ultraprocessed-foods/