In a new study, researchers found that as food consumed in the U.S. becomes more and more processed, obesity may become more prevalent.
They concluded that detailed recommendations to improve diet quality and overall nutrition are needed for consumers, who are prioritizing food that is cheaper and more convenient but also highly processed.
The research was conducted by a team at George Washington University.
In the study, the team compared the U.S. diet to the diet of those who live in “blue zones” – areas with populations living to age 100 without chronic disease.
They found the differences are stark. Many of the food trends they reviewed are tied directly to a fast-paced U.S. lifestyle that contributes to the obesity epidemic they are now facing.
The results showed the rising obesity epidemic in the U.S., as well as related chronic diseases, are correlated with a rise in ultra-processed food consumption.
The foods most associated with weight gain include potato chips, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and desserts, refined grains, red meats, and processed meats, while lower weight gain or even weight loss is associated with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Other food trends include insufficient dietary fiber intake, a dramatic increase in food additives like emulsifiers and gums, and a higher prevalence of obesity, particularly in women.
In mice and in vitro trials, emulsifiers, found in processed foods, have been found to alter microbiome compositions, elevate fasting blood glucose, cause hyperphagia, increase weight gain and adiposity, and induce hepatic steatosis.
Recent human trials have linked ultra-processed foods to decreased satiety (fullness), increased meal eating rates (speed), worsening biochemical markers, including inflammation and cholesterol, and more weight gain.
In contrast, populations with low meat, high fiber, and minimally processed foods — the “blue zones” — have far fewer chronic diseases, obesity rates, and live longer disease-free.
The team says rather than solely treating the symptoms of obesity and related diseases with medication, doctors need to include efforts to use food as medicine.
Chronic disease in later years is not predestined but heavily influenced by lifestyle and diet.
Decreasing obesity and chronic disease in the U.S. will require limiting processed foods and increasing intake of whole vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, and water.
Health care providers must also emphasize lifestyle medicine, moving beyond ‘a pill for an ill.’
The lead author of the study is researcher Leigh A. Frame, Ph.D., MHS.
The study is published in Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology.
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