Mixed
High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) significantly increases the risk of developing overall and abdominal obesity in adults, independent of baseline adiposity.
If you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods (like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and ready meals), you are significantly more likely to gain weight and develop obesity over time. This risk exists even if you don't currently have obesity. Reducing your intake of these highly processed items is a key strategy for weight management.
Participants in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food consumption had significantly higher risk of developing overall obesity (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.06─3.03) and abdominal obesity (HR 1.30; 95% CI 1.14─1.48).
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort study (UK Biobank) with robust adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference compared to RCTs.
Source
Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of obesity: a prospective cohort study of UK Biobank
Fernanda Rauber et al. · European Journal of Nutrition · 2020
DOI 10.1007/s00394-020-02367-1
Related findings · Mixed
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