Energy balance
High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), defined as >30.8% of total daily energy intake, significantly increases the risk of large weight gain (≥1.68 kg/year) and large waist circumference gain (≥2.42 cm/year) compared to low consumption (<17.8% of energy).
To minimize weight and waist gain, limit ultra-processed foods to less than 17.8% of your daily energy intake. Focus on minimally processed foods, as UPFs are designed to be overconsumed due to low satiety and high energy density, regardless of sugar content.
fourth (>30.8 %) v. first (<17.8 %) quartile of UPF consumption was associated (relative risk (95 % CI)) with 27 and 33 % greater risk of large weight and waist gains (1.27 (1.07, 1.50) and 1.33 (1.12, 1.58)), respectively.
Why this rating
Large longitudinal cohort (n=11,827) with standardized measurements and adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Ultra-processed foods, incident overweight and obesity, and longitudinal changes in weight and waist circumference: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)
Scheine Canhada et al. · Public Health Nutrition · 2019
DOI 10.1017/s1368980019002854
More from this paper
- High consumption of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of incident overweight and obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) in individuals who are not overweight at baseline, with a 20% greater risk observed in the highest consumption quartile.Good
- High consumption of ultra-processed foods does NOT significantly increase the risk of incident obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) in individuals who are already overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m²) at baseline.Good
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