Canadian preschoolers are getting nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods and it91裸聊视频檚 putting them at risk of obesity, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Toronto91裸聊视频檚 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 study91裸聊视频檚 authors, said the results aren91裸聊视频檛 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 91裸聊视频渨orrisome,91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淭hese are often designed to be convenient, to be tasty, to have 91裸聊视频� a long shelf life,91裸聊视频� 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 children91裸聊视频檚 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 it91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渉yperpalatable,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渋s comparable to addictive behaviours,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淪o this means they have a neurological effect and should be examined further, particularly in children.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频� more than one in four adults 91裸聊视频� 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 it91裸聊视频檚 important to improve accessibility to healthy foods, including through community gardens and farmers markets.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a mother of a three-year-old myself, and with a busy lifestyle 91裸聊视频� it is so difficult to skip over processed foods. They are such a handy solution to make sure our children are fed,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淏ut trying to give our children more whole fruits, whole veggies, minimally processed foods, grains and lean proteins can support them for better health.91裸聊视频�
