Ultra-processed foods control children’s diet

File image of a teenager eating crisps
File image of a teenager eating crisps

Ultra-processed foods account for two-thirds of children’s daily calories, research by Cambridge University has found.

The study of more than 3,000 British children aged between 11 and 18 found that the vast majority of daily fare is coming from mass-produced foods. Research has increasingly linked such diets to an added risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity, with recent studies in adults linking foods like ham, sausages and crisps to an early death.

In the study, from the University of Cambridge and the University of Bristol, scientists looked at four-day food diaries from almost 3,000 children aged 11 to 18 in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2008/09 and 2018/19.

They found typical UPF consumption was 861g per day – or 66 per cent of daily energy intake. Intake tended to be higher among boys and those of white ethnicity, along with those from poorer backgrounds and those living in the north of England.

Researchers found that over the period, the proportion of calories coming from UPF foods saw a slight fall, from 67.7 per cent to 62.8 per cent of total energy intake.

They said this may have been caused by increased public awareness of sugar consumption, following government campaigns and the reformulation of sugary drinks following the introduction of the sugar tax.

Replacing sugary drinks with “diet” versions or those with fewer calories reduces the overall proportion of calories from UPF fare, but the replacement products are still ultra-processed.

UPFs have been linked to poor health, partly because they are calorie- dense and designed to be “hyper-palatable” – meaning they can be consumed in high quantities – fuelling obesity, while low in nutrients, often containing high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar.

They also contain additives and ingredients not often used when people cook from scratch, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours. Examples include ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits and fizzy drinks.

Earlier this year, a study linked UPF consumption to 32 harmful effects to health, including a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health and early death.

Dr Yanaina Chavez-Ugalde, study author from the University of Cambridge, said: “Adolescents’ food patterns and practices are influenced by many factors, including their home environment, the marketing they are exposed to and the influence of their friends and peers.

“But adolescence is also an important time in our lives where behaviours begin to become ingrained.

“It’s clear from our findings that ultra-processed foods make up the majority of adolescents’ diets, and their consumption is at a much higher level than is ideal, given their potential negative health impacts.”

Dr Esther van Sluijs, also from Cambridge, said: “Ultra-processed foods offer convenient and often cheaper solutions to time and income-poor

families, but unfortunately many of these foods also offer poor nutritional value.

“This could be contributing to the inequalities in health we see emerging across childhood and adolescence.”

The research, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, follows a study of eight countries, which found that UK children aged between two and five had the highest consumption of UPF foods.

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