Ultraprocessed foods now comprise 2/3 of calories in children and teen
diets

Date:
August 10, 2021
Source:
Tufts University
Summary:
Results from two decades of data show ultraprocessed foods have
become a larger part of kids' and teens' diets with disparities
by race and ethnicity.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The calories that children and adolescents consumed from ultraprocessed
foods jumped from 61% to 67% of total caloric intake from 1999 to 2018, according to a new study from researchers at the Friedman School of
Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University. Published August 10,
2021, in JAMA, the study analyzed dietary intake from 33,795 children
and adolescents nationwide.


========================================================================== "Some whole grain breads and dairy foods are ultraprocessed, and
they're healthier than other ultraprocessed foods. Processing can keep
food fresher longer, allows for food fortification and enrichment, and
enhances consumer convenience," said senior and corresponding author Fang
Fang Zhang, nutrition epidemiologist at the Friedman School. "But many ultraprocessed foods are less healthy, with more sugar and salt, and less fiber, than unprocessed and minimally processed foods, and the increase in their consumption by children and teenagers is concerning." The largest
spike in calories came from such ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat dishes
as takeout and frozen pizza and burgers: from 2.2% to 11.2% of calories.

The second largest spike in calories came from packaged sweet snacks
and desserts, the consumption of which grew from 10.6% to 12.9%.

There was a larger increase in the consumption of ultraprocessed foods
among non-Hispanic Blacks (10.3%) and Mexican Americans (7.6%) than non-Hispanic Whites (5.2%). Trends in other racial/ethnic groups were
not assessed due to lack of sufficient data that allow for nationally representative estimates across survey cycles.

There were no statistically significant differences in the overall
findings by parental education and family income. "The lack of
disparities based on parental education and family income indicates
that ultraprocessed foods are pervasive in children's diets," said
Zhang. "This finding supports the need for researchers to track trends
in food consumption more fully, taking into account consumption of ultraprocessed foods." Over the study period, calories from often
healthier unprocessed or minimally processed foods decreased from 28.8% to 23.5%. The remaining percentage of calories came from moderately processed foods such as cheese and canned fruits and vegetables, and consumer-added flavor enhancers such as sugar, honey, maple syrup, and butter.



========================================================================== There was good news: Calories from sugar-sweetened beverages dropped
from 10.8% to 5.3% of overall calories, a 51% drop.

"This finding shows the benefits of the concerted campaign over the
past few years to reduce overall consumption of sugary drinks," said
Zhang. "We need to mobilize the same energy and level of commitment
when it comes to other unhealthy ultraprocessed foods such as cakes,
cookies, doughnuts and brownies." "In additional analyses, we compared
the composition of ultraprocessed foods to non-ultra processed foods
using data from the 2017-2018 period. We found that ultraprocessed foods contain a substantially higher percent of calories from carbohydrates
and added sugars, and higher levels of sodium, but also had less fiber
and a lower percentage of calories from protein," said the study's first author, Lu Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School.

"Food processing is an often-overlooked dimension in nutrition
research. We may need to consider that ultraprocessing of some foods
may be associated with health risks, independent of the poor nutrient
profile of ultraprocessed foods generally," concluded Zhang.

Ultraprocessed Foods Ultraprocessed foods are ready-to-eat or
ready-to-heat items often high in added sugar, sodium, and carbohydrates,
and low in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They typically
contain added sugars, hydrogenated oils, and flavor enhancers. Examples
include packaged sweet snacks and desserts, sugary breakfast cereals,
French fries, fast food burgers, and some lunchmeats such as bologna and salami. When consumed in excess, these foods are linked with diabetes,
obesity, and other serious medical conditions, such as certain cancers.

Methodology This new study is part of a series led by Friedman
School researchers investigating patterns and trends in diet quality
among U.S. adults and children. The study characterized trends in ultraprocessed food consumption among U.S. children aged 2-19 years from
1999 to 2018, overall and among population subgroups, using data from
10 consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES). It further assessed major ultraprocessed food subgroups consumed by U.S. children in the latest cycle of NHANES (2017-2018) and associated nutrient profiles. The average age of participants was 10.7
years and was roughly equally divided between boys and girls. It relied on 24-hour dietary recall interviews conducted by trained personnel; older children and teens directly reported on the foods they ate while parents
and caregivers did so for younger children. The percentage of calories
consumed by participants was determined using the NOVA food classification system developed by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Tufts_University. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Lu Wang, Euridice Marti'nez Steele, Mengxi Du, Jennifer L. Pomeranz,
Lauren E. O'Connor, Kirsten A. Herrick, Hanqi Luo, Xuehong Zhang,
Dariush Mozaffarian, Fang Fang Zhang. Trends in Consumption
of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years,
1999-2018. JAMA, 2021; 326 (6): 519 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.10238 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210810110955.htm

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