Consumption of ultra-processed foods associated with weight gain and obesity in adults: A multi-national cohort study

Author(s):Show less -

Cordova, Reynalda ^{[1, 2]} ; Kliemann, Nathalie ^[1] ; Huybrechts, Inge ^[1] ; Rauber, Fernanda ^{[3, 4]} ; Vamos, Eszter P. ^[5] ; Levy, Renata Bertazzi ^{[3, 4]} ; Wagner, Karl-Heinz ^[2] ; Viallon, Vivian ^[1] ; Casagrande, Corinne ^[1] ; Nicolas, Genevieve ^[1] ; Dahm, Christina C. ^[6] ; Zhang, Jie ^[6] ; Halkjaer, Jytte ^[7] ; Tjonneland, Anne ^{[8, 7]} ; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine ^{[9, 10]} ; Mancini, Francesca Romana ^{[9, 10]} ; Laouali, Nasser ^{[9, 10]} ; Katzke, Verena ^[11] ; Srour, Bernard ^[11] ; Jannasch, Franziska ^{[12, 13, 14]} ; Schulze, Matthias B. ^{[12, 15]} ; Masala, Giovanna ^[16] ; Grioni, Sara ^[17] ; Panico, Salvatore ^[18] ; van der Schouw, Yvonne T. ^[19] ; Derksen, Jeroen W. G. ^[19] ; Rylander, Charlotta ^[20] ; Skeie, Guri ^[20] ; Jakszyn, Paula ^{[21, 22]} ; Rodriguez-Barranco, Miguel ^{[23, 24, 25]} ; Huerta, Jose Maria ^{[26, 27]} ; Barricarte, Aurelio ^{[28, 29]} ; Brunkwall, Lousie ^[30] ; Ramne, Stina ^[30] ; Boden, Stina ^[31] ; Perez-Cornago, Aurora ^[32] ; Heath, Alicia K. ^[5] ; Vineis, Paolo ^[5] ; Weiderpass, Elisabete ^[1] ; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto ^{[3, 4]} ; Gunter, Marc J. ^[1] ; Millett, Christopher ^[5] ; Freisling, Heinz ^[1]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Int Agcy Res Canc IARC WHO, Nutr & Metab Branch, Lyon - France

^[2] Univ Vienna, Dept Nutr Sci, Vienna - Austria

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Epidemiol Res Nutr & Hlth, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Imperial Coll London, Sch Publ Hlth, Publ Hlth Policy Evaluat Unit, London - England

^[6] Aarhus Univ, Dept Publ Hlth, Aarhus - Denmark

^[7] Danish Canc Soc Res Ctr, Copenhagen - Denmark

^[8] Univ Copenhagen, Dept Publ Hlth, Copenhagen - Denmark

^[9] Univ Paris Sud, Univ Paris Saclay, French Natl Inst Hlth & Med Res INSERM, Ctr Res Epidemiol & Populat Hlth CESP, UVSQ, Paris - France

^[10] Inst Gustave Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif - France

^[11] German Canc Res Ctr, Div Canc Epidemiol, Heidelberg - Germany

^[12] German Inst Human Nutr Potsdam Rehbrucke, Dept Mol Epidemiol, Nuthetal - Germany

^[13] German Ctr Diabet Res DZD, Munich - Germany

^[14] NutriAct Competence Cluster Nutr Res Berlin Potsd, Nuthetal - Germany

^[15] Univ Potsdam, Inst Nutr Sci, Nuthetal - Germany

^[16] Inst Canc Res Prevent & Clin Network ISPRO, Mol & Lifestyle Epidemiol Branch, Canc Risk Factors & Lifestyle Epidemiol Unit, Florence - Italy

^[17] Fdn IRCCS Ist Nazl Tumori Milano, Epidemiol & Prevent Unit, Via Venezian, I-120133 Milan - Italy

^[18] Univ Naples Federico II, Dipartimento Med Clin & Chirurg, Naples - Italy

^[19] Univ Utrecht, Univ Med Ctr Utrecht, Julius Ctr Hlth Sci & Primary Care, Utrecht - Netherlands

^[20] UiT Arctic Univ Norway, Dept Community Med, Tromso - Norway

^[21] Catalan Inst Oncol, Unit Nutr & Canc, Canc Epidemiol Res Programme, Barcelona - Spain

^[22] Ramon Llull Univ, Blanquerna Sch Hlth Sci, Barcelona - Spain

^[23] Ctr Invest Biomed Red Epidemiol & Salud Publ CIBE, Madrid - Spain

^[24] Escuela Andaluza Salud Publ EASP, Granada - Spain

^[25] Inst Invest Biosanitaria Ibs GRANADA, Granada - Spain

^[26] CIBER Epidemiol & Salud Publ CIBERESP, Murcia - Spain

^[27] IMIB Arrixaca, Murcia Reg Hlth Council, Dept Epidemiol, Murcia - Spain

^[28] Navarra Publ Hlth Inst, Pamplona - Spain

^[29] Navarra Inst Hlth Res IdiSNA, Pamplona - Spain

^[30] Lund Univ, Dept Clin Sci, Malmo - Sweden

^[31] Umea Univ, Dept Radiat Sci, Oncol, Umea - Sweden

^[32] Univ Oxford, Nuffield Dept Populat Hlth, Canc Epidemiol Unit, Oxford - England

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Clinical Nutrition; v. 40, n. 9, p. 5079-5088, SEP 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background: There is a worldwide shift towards increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with concurrent rising prevalence of obesity. We examined the relationship between the consumption of UPF and weight gain and risk of obesity. Methods: This prospective cohort included 348 748 men and women aged 25-70 years. Participants were recruited between 1992 and 2000 from 9 European countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Two body weight measures were available, at baseline and after a median follow-up time of 5 years. Foods and drinks were assessed at baseline by dietary questionnaires and classified according to their degree of processing using NOVA classification. Multilevel mixed linear regression was used to estimate the association between UPF consumption and body weight change (kg/5 years). To estimate the relative risk of becoming overweight or obese after 5 years we used Poisson regression stratified according to baseline body mass index (BMI). Results: After multivariable adjustment, higher UPF consumption (per 1 SD increment) was positively associated with weight gain (0.12 kg/5 years, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.15). Comparing highest vs. lowest quintile of UPF consumption was associated with a 15% greater risk (95% CI 1.11, 1.19) of becoming overweight or obese in normal weight participants, and with a 16% greater risk (95% CI 1.09, 1.23) of becoming obese in participants who were overweight at baseline. Conclusions: These results are supportive of public health campaigns to substitute UPF for less processed alternatives for obesity prevention and weight management. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/14302-7 - Consumption of ultra-processed foods and indicators of diet quality in Australia
• Grantee: Fernanda Rauber
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral