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New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (held online, 10-13 May) shows that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in childhood is associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity and also alters the metabolome (small weight molecules / metabolites) present in the cells and involved in the body's processes at the molecular level.
The study is by Dr Evangelos Handakas, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK and colleagues supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Grant to the 'STOP Project' (Science and Technology in childhood Obesity Policy).
Diets high in ultra-processed food (UPF) have been linked with weight gain and risk of overweight, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the associations between UPF consumption and the metabolome and their role in overweight and obesity risk, in early childhood and adolescence in a large British cohort.