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A new study from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol suggests that young people get around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPF).
The study found that UPF consumption was highest among adolescents from poor families, adolescents of white ethnicity, and young adolescents.
UPFs are foods that are manufactured from industrial substances and contain additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, colours, flavours and emulsifiers. UPFs vary widely but tend to indicate poor dietary quality, including high added sugars, saturated fat and sodium content and low fibre, protein and micronutrient content. UPFs have been suggested to be one of the main drivers of the global increase in diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Globally, the availability and sales of UPFs have been increasing year on year, and evidence suggests that this is leading to increased consumption among adolescents. To examine trends in the UK, researchers from Cambridge and Bristol analysed data from four-day food diaries kept by almost 3,000 adolescents as part of the English National Diet and Nutrition Survey conducted between 2008/09 and 2018/19.
In a study published today in the European Journal of Nutrition, the researchers found that on average 66% of adolescents’ energy intake during this period came from UPF intake, but this decreased slightly from 68% to 63% between 2008/09 and 2018/2019.
Parental occupation, ethnic group and region of the UK all influenced the proportion of caloric intake from UPF.
Adolescents from more disadvantaged backgrounds have a higher proportion of their calorie intake from UPF than non-disadvantaged adolescents (68.4% vs 63.8%). Adolescents from non-White ethnicities have a lower proportion of their calorie intake from UPF (59.0% vs 67.3%). Adolescents living in the North of England have a higher proportion of their calorie intake from UPF than adolescents living in the South of England and London (67.4% vs 64.1%). 18-year-olds have a lower proportion of their calorie intake from UPF than 11-year-olds (63.4% vs 65.6%).
Lead author of the study, Dr Yanaina Chaves Ugalde, from the Epidemiology Unit of the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the University of Cambridge, said: “Adolescents’ eating habits and behaviours are influenced by many factors, including their home environment, the marketing they are exposed to and the influence of their friends and peers. However, adolescence is also a critical period when behaviours start to take hold.”
“Our findings make it clear that ultra-processed foods make up a large proportion of adolescents’ diets and that intake levels are much higher than ideal given their potential adverse health effects.”
The researchers argue that the decline in UPF intake observed before the pandemic can be partly explained by increased public awareness and health concerns about sugar consumption, government-led campaigns, sugar taxes in other countries, and reformulations of sweetened drinks to reduce their sugar content.
Co-lead author Dr Esther van Sluis, from the MRC Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, said: “Ultra-processed foods are often a convenient, cheap solution for families with time and income tight, but unfortunately many of these foods also have poor nutritional value, which may contribute to the health inequalities we see across childhood and adolescence.”
Co-lead author Dr Zoi Tumpakali, from the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, added: “Our findings suggest that disparities in ultra-processed food consumption are not solely down to individual choice. We hope this evidence will help policymakers to design more effective policies to counter the harmful effects of ultra-processed food consumption among young people and its knock-on effects on public health.”
Further information: Chavez-Ugalde, Y et al. “Ultra-processed food consumption among UK adolescents: distribution, trends and socio-demographic correlates from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008/09 to 2018/19,” European Journal of Nutrition (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03458-z
Provided by University of Cambridge
Source: Ultra-processed foods account for almost two-thirds of calories consumed by young people in the UK, study finds (16 July 2024) Retrieved 16 July 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-ultra-food-thirds-calorie-intake.html
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