Canadian preschoolers are getting nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods and itB次元官网网址檚 putting them at risk of obesity, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of TorontoB次元官网网址檚 faculty of medicine found that nearly one in five of the more than 2,000 children they followed over a years-long study was overweight or obese by age five.
Dr. Kozeta Miliku, one of the studyB次元官网网址檚 authors, said the results arenB次元官网网址檛 surprising, given that Canada is among the top five countries for the sale of ultra-processed foods. But seeing such high consumption among young children is B次元官网网址渨orrisome,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview.
Ultra-processed foods, which include sweetened breakfast cereals, frozen meals, fast food, chips and candy, are often high in added sugar, salt and saturated fats, Miliku said. They often contain artificial flavours, preservatives, sweeteners and emulsifiers, and lack many essential nutrients.
B次元官网网址淭hese are often designed to be convenient, to be tasty, to have B次元官网网址� a long shelf life,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that a long list of unfamiliar ingredients is a common sign of an ultra-processed food.
The study, which followed 2,200 children in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Manitoba between 2011 and 2018, was published Friday in JAMA Network Open. The researchers collected data about the childrenB次元官网网址檚 diets when they were three years old, and then took body measurements at age five.
They found that the three-year-olds were getting 45 per cent of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods. Moreover, high consumption of those foods at age three was linked to higher body fat and obesity risk at age five, especially among boys. The researchers used the World Health Organization definition of obesity.
Zheng Hao Chen, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, said itB次元官网网址檚 unclear exactly how ultra-processed foods are linked to obesity. One possible explanation is simply that many of these foods are high in calories. Another is that they can be B次元官网网址渉yperpalatable,B次元官网网址� the study says, meaning it can be difficult to control how much you eat.
Chen pointed to research that has found the combination of saturated fat and carbohydrates promotes the reward centres of the brain. Another study showed the over-consumption of ultra-processed foods B次元官网网址渋s comparable to addictive behaviours,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o this means they have a neurological effect and should be examined further, particularly in children.B次元官网网址�
The researchers also suggested that emulsifiers and additives in ultra-processed foods can change the gut microbiome, and could have different effects in men and women. For example, Miliku said, the lack of fibre in these foods can promote the growth of bad bacteria in the gut.
Whatever the reason, the study points out that obesity rates are increasing along with the rise of ultra-processed foods. It cites statistics showing that 7.3 million Canadian adults were living with obesity in 2018, rising to 8.3 million B次元官网网址� more than one in four adults B次元官网网址� in 2020. One third of Canadian children and youths were living with obesity in 2023.
Miliku pointed to a number of policy measures that could help reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods in children, including mandating healthier school meals, requiring nutrition quality information on the front of food packages and restricting marketing to children. She also said itB次元官网网址檚 important to improve accessibility to healthy foods, including through community gardens and farmers markets.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a mother of a three-year-old myself, and with a busy lifestyle B次元官网网址� it is so difficult to skip over processed foods. They are such a handy solution to make sure our children are fed,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淏ut trying to give our children more whole fruits, whole veggies, minimally processed foods, grains and lean proteins can support them for better health.B次元官网网址�
