Consumption of ultra-processed foods, nutrient profile and obesity in Portugal

• Grant number: 18/07391-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2018
• End date: September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Agreement: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)
• Principal Investigator: Renata Bertazzi Levy
• Grantee: Renata Bertazzi Levy
• Principal researcher abroad: Sara Simões Pereira Rodrigues
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Augusto Monteiro ; Catarina Machado Azeredo ; Fernanda Rauber ; Maria Laura da Costa Louzada
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/15788-6 - Consumption of ultra-processed foods and indicators of diet quality in Portugal, BP.PD; 19/05972-7 - Consumption of ultra-processed foods and indicators of diet quality in Portugal, BP.PD

Abstract

During the 20th century dietary patterns in developed countries has radically changed as a result of economic growth, increase in people?s purchasing power, progresses in food technology, changes in the food environment including food marketing, and transformation in lifestyles. The fast social, economic, cultural and environmental changes have introduced relevant lifestyle adaptation and contributed to the globalization and increasing use of ready-to-consume ultra-processed foods. At the same time, the rise of overweight and obesity has been observed all around the world. Such a public health problem concerns all age groups and is also an evidence in Portugal, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising and reached 53% of the adult population in 2014. The hypothesis that the intake of ultra-processed foods compromises the nutritional dietary quality and increases the risk of obesity has been posed and was demonstrated in a few countries but still needs to be tested in most countries. This project aims to study patterns of consumption of ultra-processed foods in Portugal, its sociodemographic determinants, and its influence on dietary nutrient profile and obesity. In addition, it will make possible the incorporation of Portugal in one international research program involving Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, UK and US. This international program is coordinated by one Brazilian research center (Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health of the University of São Paulo- NUPENS/USP) and counts with local research teams in each of the seven countries. The project in Portugal will involve the analysis of food intake data (two 24 h recalls or food diaries) and weight and height measurements collected by the most recent national dietary survey, the IAN-AF 2015-2016 (n=5819, from 3 months to 84 years). The methodology will first involve data organizing and harmonization of sociodemographic, anthropometric and dietary variables. Food items will then be classified according to the degree of processing by using the NOVA food classification developed at NUPENS/USP, where ultra-processed foods refer to industrial formulations made of substances extracted from foods or synthetized from food substrates or other organic sources, with no or little whole food. Such classification is increasingly used in the international scientific literature as well as in the development of national dietary guidelines and proposals of regulatory policies. In Portugal, and in the eight countries taken together, cross-sectional associations between consumption of ultra-processed foods, dietary nutrient profile and obesity will be studied with the control of potential confounding factors. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

COSTA DE MIRANDA, RENATA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; LEVY, RENATA BERTAZZI. Impact of ultra-processed food consumption on metabolic health. CURRENT OPINION IN LIPIDOLOGY, v. 32, n. 1, p. 24-37, FEB 2021. (16/14302-7, 19/05972-7, 18/07391-9)

DE MORAES, MILENA MIRANDA; OLIVEIRA, BRUNO; AFONSO, CLAUDIA; SANTOS, CRISTINA; TORRES, DUARTE; LOPES, CARLA; DE MIRANDA, RENATA COSTA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; ANTONIAZZI, LUIZA; LEVY, RENATA BERTAZZI; et al. An Ultra-Processed Food Dietary Pattern Is Associated with Lower Diet Quality in Portuguese Adults and the Elderly: The UPPER Project. NUTRIENTS, v. 13, n. 11, NOV 2021. (20/15788-6, 19/05972-7, 18/07391-9)

COSTA DE MIRANDA, R.; RAUBER, F.; MORAES, M.; TORRES, D.; LOPES, C.; RODRIGUES, S.; BERTAZZI LEVY, R.. Consumption of ultra-processed foods on free sugar intake of Portuguese infants: The Upper Project. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, v. 30, p. 2-pg., 2020-09-01. (18/07391-9, 19/05972-7, 16/14302-7)

COSTA DE MIRANDA, R.; RAUBER, F.; MORAES, M.; RODRIGUES, S.; BERTAZZI LEVY, R.. Influence of ultra-processed foods on prevalence of inadequacy in Portuguese adults and elderly. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, v. 30, p. 1-pg., 2020-09-01. (18/07391-9, 19/05972-7, 16/14302-7)

MORAES, M. M.; OLIVEIRA, B.; AFONSO, C.; SANTOS, C.; MIRANDA, R. C.; RAUBER, F.; LEVY, R. B.; RODRIGUES, S.. Mediterranean diet, sociodemographic factors and ultra-processed food consumption in Portugal. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, v. 30, p. 2-pg., 2020-09-01. (18/07391-9, 19/05972-7, 16/14302-7)

ANTONIAZZI, LUIZA; DE MIRANDA, RENATA COSTA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; DE MORAES, MILENA MIRANDA; AFONSO, CLAUDIA; SANTOS, CRISTINA; LOPES, CARLA; RODRIGUES, SARA; LEVY, RENATA BERTAZZI; UPPER GRP. Ultra-processed food consumption deteriorates the profile of micronutrients consumed by Portuguese adults and elderly: the UPPER project. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2022-11-21. (18/07391-9, 20/15788-6, 19/05972-7)

MAGALHAES, VANIA; SEVERO, MILTON; CORREIA, DANIELA; TORRES, DUARTE; DE MIRANDA, RENATA COSTA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; LEVY, RENATA; RODRIGUES, SARA; LOPES, CARLA. ssociated factors to the consumption of ultra-processed foods and its relation with dietary sources in Portuga. JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE, v. 10, OCT 7 2021. (18/07391-9, 16/14302-7, 19/05972-7)

DE MORAES, MILENA MIRANDA; OLIVEIRA, BRUNO; AFONSO, CLAUDIA; SANTOS, CRISTINA; TORRES, DUARTE; LOPES, CARLA; DE MIRANDA, RENATA COSTA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; ANTONIAZZI, LUIZA; LEVY, RENATA BERTAZZI; et al. Dietary Patterns in Portuguese Children and Adolescent Population: The UPPER Project. NUTRIENTS, v. 13, n. 11, NOV 2021. (20/15788-6, 19/05972-7, 18/07391-9)

DE MIRANDA, RENATA COSTA; RAUBER, FERNANDA; DE MORAES, MILENA MIRANDA; AFONSO, CLAUDIA; SANTOS, CRISTINA; RODRIGUES, SARA; LEVY, RENATA BERTAZZI; GRP, UPPER. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and non-communicable disease-related nutrient profile in Portuguese adults and elderly (2015-2016): the UPPER project. BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, v. 125, n. 10, p. 1177-1187, MAY 28 2021. (16/14302-7, 19/05972-7, 18/07391-9)