Ultra-processed food and adverse health outcomes

Lawrence, Mark; Baker, Phillip

doi:10.1136/bmj.l2289

Cited by 134 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Ultra-processed foods are those made from processed substances extracted or refined from whole foods; most are shelf-stable, ready-to-eat, high in energy density, high in other nutrients of concern (e.g., free sugar, sodium), and low in beneficial nutrients (e.g., fiber) [2]. Large cohort studies have found that diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with increased risk of hypertension [3], cardiovascular disease [4], overweight/obesity [5], and cancers [6], as well as increased mortality [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Numerous cohort studies have also found that increased intake of ultra-processed foods adversely impacts adult or child health significantly [1,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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Policies that require front-of-package (FoP) nutrient warnings are becoming increasingly common across the globe as a strategy to discourage excess consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed food. However, a better understanding of the pathway through which FoP nutrient warnings work, as well as a review of how outcomes being measured in recent studies map onto this pathway, are needed in order to inform policy on the most effective FoP label design for reducing purchases of ultra-processed foods. This scoping review describes a conceptual model for how FoP nutrient warnings affect consumer behavior, examines which of these outcomes are currently being measured, and summarizes evidence from randomized controlled experiments. Twenty-two studies which experimentally tested nutrient warnings against a control label or other labeling systems were included for full-text review. Our conceptual model includes attention; comprehension, cognitive elaboration, and message acceptance; negative affect and risk perception; behavioral intentions, and behavioral response, along with other elements such as external factors and interpersonal communications. We found that many studies focused on outcomes such as attention, comprehension, and behavioral intentions, but considerable gaps in the evidence remain, particularly for intermediary steps on the pathway to behavioral change, such as negative affect and social interactions. FoP nutrient warnings were visually attended to by consumers, easy to understand, helped consumers identify products high in nutrients of concern, and discouraged them from purchasing these products, although other labeling systems were perceived as containing more information and performed better at helping consumers rank the healthfulness of products. More research is needed to understand whether and how nutrient warnings work in the real world to discourage consumer purchases of sugary drinks and ultra-processed food.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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“…Scientific evidence supports the strong association between UPF consumption and the risk of developing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), especially obesity [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The prevalence of these conditions increases directly as the consumption of UP and UPF surges [ 10 ]. Some studies have shown that, in high-income countries, the consumption of processed foods and beverages provides for more than two-thirds of dietary energy [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Processed Foods in Honduras: Comparison of Three Nutrient Profiles

Santana

Andrade

Aleman

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Obesity is considered a global pandemic. Different countries have worked to implement front-of-package (FOP) labeling systems that define thresholds for critical nutrients (CN) as part of their public health policies. The objective of this study is to identify the proportion of Processed (PF) and Ultra-Processed (UPF) Foods marketed in Honduras, which meet or fall short of the criteria of three Nutrient Profile Models (NPM): PAHO (2016), Chile (2017) and the Central American Technical Regulation Proposal-Nutritional Warning Front Labeling (CATRP-NWFL 2017). This study is descriptive; 1009 products from 206 brands were collected nationwide. Descriptive statistics were performed. The mean CN compliance with the three models was 49.3% for sodium, 30.6% for sugars, 63.1% and 96% for saturated and trans fats. The PAHO and Chilean (NPM) similarly concentrated on the lower compliance with the established criteria, unlike the CATRP, which has less stringent criteria. This is the first assessment of CN content in PF and UPF in Honduras under three different NPMs. We highlight the importance of defining or adopting criteria for the implementation of NWFL as information for the consumer and thereby contribute to reducing the risks of obesity and related diseases.

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“…Each group started with one diet regimen and then shifted to the other . This work was further amplified by several papers in the British Medical Journal that looked at two large European cohorts and showed a strong positive relation between ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality (Lawrence and Baker 2019;. There are now studies documenting the rapid growth of these ultra-processed foods in all continents among almost all low-and middle-income countries.…”

Section: Global Factors Associated With Increased Overweight/obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity: Health and Economic Consequences of an Impending Global Challenge

Shekar¹,

Popkin²

2020

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This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved.

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Ultra-processed food and adverse health outcomes

Abstract: Fresh evidence links popular processed foods with a range of health risks

Cited by 134 publications

References 11 publications

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Processed Foods in Honduras: Comparison of Three Nutrient Profiles

Obesity: Health and Economic Consequences of an Impending Global Challenge

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