Research

Energy balance

High ultra-processed food intake is associated with significantly higher BMI in young active adults when controlling for recreational physical activity levels.

Even if you exercise regularly, a diet high in ultra-processed foods may still lead to a higher BMI. Focus on reducing UPF to manage body weight effectively, rather than relying solely on exercise.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
A significantly higher BMI was seen in HIGHUPF after controlling for physical activity (p=0.04).
Bailey Capra et al. · Journal of Exercise and Nutrition · 2022

Why this rating

Observational study, small sample, self-reported height/weight, but uses ANCOVA to control for activity.

Source

Associations Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and BMI, Sedentary Time, and Adverse Dietary Habits in Active Young Adults

Bailey Capra et al. · Journal of Exercise and Nutrition · 2022

DOI 10.53520/jen2022.103121

cross_sectional · n=42Cited 3×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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