Ultra-processed food intake in association with BMI change and risk of overweight and obesity: A prospective analysis of the French NutriNet-Santé cohort

Abstract

Background Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has increased drastically worldwide and already represents 50%-60% of total daily energy intake in several high-income countries. In the meantime, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen continuously during the last century. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between UPF consumption and the risk of overweight and obesity, as well as change in body mass index (BMI), in a large French cohort. Methods and findings A total of 110,260 adult participants (�18 years old, mean baseline age = 43.1 [SD 14.6] years; 78.2% women) from the French prospective population-based NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2019) were included. Dietary intakes were collected at baseline using repeated and validated 24-hour dietary records linked to a food composition database that included >3,500 different food items, each categorized according to their degree of processing by the NOVA classification. Associations between the proportion of UPF in the diet and BMI change during follow-up were assessed using linear mixed models. Associations with risk of overweight and obesity were assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. After adjusting for age, sex, educational level, marital status, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol intake, number of 24-hour dietary records, and energy intake, we observed a positive

Ultra-Processed Food Is Positively Associated With Depressive Symptoms Among United States Adults

“…In this study, the association between UPF and depressive symptoms is more significant among inactive people, which may be mediated by obesity. Previous literature has described a positive association between UPF and obesity (25,47,48).…”

Consumption of Ultra-Processed Food and Its Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics and Diet Quality in a Representative Sample of French Adults

“…Considering mounting scientific literature linking UPF to adverse health outcomes [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], an increasing number of countries have started to implement public policies to limit their consumption. Approaches such as taxes, restricting where these products can be sold, and advertisement regulations have been utilized in some countries [ 48 , 49 ].…”

“…The association between food processing and diet quality and health of the French population has been evaluated through a series of studies that used the NOVA (non-acronym name) classification and data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. According to NOVA, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are the formulation of food substances involving processes and ingredients exclusively employed in industrial production [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

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

“…Several nationally representative cross-sectional studies have shown a significant association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and higher body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC) and the prevalence of obesity in Australia [ 21 ], Brazil [ 22 ], Canada [ 23 ], the USA [ 24 ], and the UK [ 25 ]. In addition, in prospective cohort studies conducted in France [ 26 ], Spain [ 27 ], and the UK [ 28 ], participants with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods presented a higher BMI or higher risk of being overweight or obese than those with lower consumption. Recently, a randomized controlled study conducted in the USA showed that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods caused increased energy intake and body weight gain [ 29 ].…”