Energy balance
Higher national household availability of ultra-processed foods is positively associated with higher national prevalence of obesity among adults, with each 1% increase in ultra-processed food energy share resulting in a 0.25 percentage point increase in obesity prevalence.
To reduce obesity risk, prioritize unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fruits, vegetables, meats, grains) and limit ultra-processed foods (packaged snacks, sugary drinks, ready meals). National policies should aim to make these ultra-processed options less available and affordable, as their increased presence in households correlates directly with higher obesity rates.
After adjustment for potential confounders, our regression model predicted that each percentage point increase in the energy share of ultra-processed foods would result in an increase of 0.25 percentage points in obesity prevalence.
Why this rating
Ecological cross-sectional study; strong association but prone to confounding and cannot prove causality at the individual level.
Source
Household availability of ultra-processed foods and obesity in nineteen European countries
Carlos Augusto Monteiro et al. · Public Health Nutrition · 2017
DOI 10.1017/s1368980017001379
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