Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Increases the Likelihood of Having Obesity in Korean Women

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity among Korean adults. We used the data of 7364 participants (men 3219, women 4145) aged 19–64 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2016–2018. Food items were classified using the NOVA food classification system, depending on the extent and purpose of food processing: (1) unprocessed or minimally processed foods, (2) processed culinary ingredients, (3) processed foods, and (4) ultra-processed foods. Consumption of ultra-processed foods accounted for 26.8% of the total energy intake. After adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, subjects with the highest consumption of ultra-processed foods (fourth quartile of % energy intake from ultra-processed foods) had 0.61 kg/m2 higher body mass index (BMI; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.99, p-trend 0.0047), 1.34 cm higher waist circumference (WC; 95% CI 0.35–2.34, p-trend 0.0146), 51% higher odds of being obese (BMI >25 kg/m2; odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% CI 1.14–1.99, p-trend 0.0037), and 64% higher odds of abdominal obesity (men: WC ≥90 cm, women: WC ≥85 cm; OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.24–2.16, p-trend 0.0004) than those with the lowest consumption (first quartile) among women. However, no association was found in men. These findings provide evidence that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is positively associated with obesity in Korean women. Further studies with a large-scale cohort or intervention trial are needed to identify the mechanism of associations between consumption of ultra-processed foods and health-related outcomes including obesity in Korea.

Intake of Ultra-Processed Food and Ectopic-, Visceral- and Other Fat Depots: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, a previous study based on dietary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed an interaction between being female and intake of UPF in relation to waist circumference (WC), a crude measure of VAT ( 3 ). Similar sex-specific associations for WC and abdominal obesity (dichotomized using WC) were recently demonstrated in a Korean population, further supporting our findings ( 37 ). Yet, in contrast to these findings, a recent prospective analysis indicated stronger association between intake of UPF and VAT in males compared to females ( 19 ).…”

A Systematic Review of Worldwide Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods: Findings and Criticisms

“…The level of UPF consumption stratified for these parameters is reported in Table 2 , Table 3 and Table 4 . Slight differences between the sexes were observed in UPF intake, with men having often an overall higher intake compared to women [ 48 , 54 , 87 , 95 , 96 , 111 ]. However, in most of the studies, the levels of UPF intake appeared comparable [ 14 , 30 , 49 , 51 , 81 , 83 , 94 , 112 ] ( Table 2 ).…”

The nutrition transition to a stage of high obesity and noncommunicable disease prevalence dominated by ultra‐processed foods is not inevitable

“…6,9,14,16,[115][116][117][118][119][120] UPFs have rapidly displaced unprocessed or minimally processed foods, freshly prepared meals, and traditional cooking in most countries, causing significant nutritional, social, economic, and environmental disruption worldwide. 17,[121][122][123] UPFs now account for roughly half of the total calories consumed in the United States, 124 the United Kingdom, 125 and Canada 126 and about 20-40% in other high-and middle-income countries [127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135] with sales growing rapidly every year. 17 Demand for these products are largely driven by extensive advertising, price promotions and other marketing techniques to generate loyalty.…”