There is a crisis in America today and it has to do with what you are being forced to buy and eat. They call it food. We should call it ‘disease in a box’. There is a large body of evidence that is beginning to be published on the relationship between ultra-processed food and childhood and teen obesity, heart disease and early death. 1,2,3,4
Ultra-processed food is considered anything that is calorie dense, but not necessarily nutrient dense. That means that the label may say there are calories in the product, but they may not be usable in the body. Those nutrients will be stored as fat ‘for later use’, but in reality, those calories are not usable to the body and will remain as fat. You may ask then “What types of food are considered Ultra-processed”?
Any food that is formulated in a lab or uses additives and ingredients not typically found in normal food preparation could be considered ultra-processed. This includes boxed foods, processed/mixed meats and items using high-density sugars. Often these additives are used to enhance color, texture and taste of food. The food looks good and tastes good, but may not be usable in the body and may end up causing us harm!
- Public Health Nutrition 2018, Jan;21(1): 18-26 Household availability of Ultraprocessed foods and obesity in nineteen European countries.
- Public Health Nutrition 2018 Jan;21(1): 148-159. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and body fat during childhood and adolescence: a systematic review.
- JAMA Internal Medicine 2019, Feb 11
- Public Health Nutrition 2015 Dec;18(17): 3096-107. Trends n consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Sweden between 1960 and 2010.