A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States is exploring whether ultra-processed foods lead people to consume more food.
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If this is the case, what is the reason?
Finding the answers may help shed light on these controversial foods, which now make up over 70% of the food supply in the United States.
Ultra-processed foods are linked to diseases like obesity and diabetes, but it's not entirely clear how.
Addressing chronic diseases is a primary goal of the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, introduced by President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
However, scientists say such research is difficult, time-consuming, and costly.
Sam Srisata (20), a student at Florida College, spent a month in a government hospital last fall, playing video games while allowing scientists to document every bite of food he ate.
From large plates of salad to meatballs and pasta dishes, Srisata participated in a study aimed at understanding the effects of ultra-processed foods on health—meals that now represent more than 70% of the food supply in the United States.
The goal of the widely anticipated research, led by nutrition researcher Kevin Hall from the NIH, is to precisely study what makes these foods so filling.
Hall said, "What we hope to do is discover what these mechanisms are so we can better understand that process."
Hall's study relies on around-the-clock measurements of patients to investigate whether ultra-processed foods lead people to consume more calories and gain weight, resulting in obesity and other well-documented health problems.
And if so, how?
Ultra-processed foods have spread quickly in the United States and other countries in recent decades, just as rates of obesity and diet-related diseases have also risen.
These foods, which are often rich in fats, sodium, and sugar, are cheap to produce in large quantities and contain colors and chemicals not found in home kitchens.
They include foods such as sugary cereals, potato chips, frozen pizza, sodas, and ice cream.
Studies have linked ultra-processed foods to negative health effects, but whether the cause is the processing of the foods themselves or the nutrients they contain, or something else entirely, remains uncertain.
A small analysis conducted by Hall and colleagues in 2019 found that ultra-processed foods caused participants to consume about 500 extra calories per day compared to an identical diet made up of unprocessed foods.
The new research aims to replicate and expand on that study and test new theories about the effects of ultra-processed foods.
One of these theories is that some foods have an irresistible combination of ingredients, such as fats, sugar, sodium, and carbohydrates, that compel people to eat more.
Another theory is that the foods contain more calories per bite, making it possible to consume more without realizing it.
Reaching these answers requires the cooperation of volunteers like Srisata and the expertise of health and nutrition experts who identify, gather, and analyze the data behind this multi-million-dollar study.
During his month at the NIH, Srisata wore monitoring devices on his wrist, ankle, and waist to track his every movement, and he donated blood up to 14 times a week.
He also spent 24 hours a week in a small room equipped with sensors to measure how his body used food, water, and air. He was allowed to leave, but under supervision to prevent eating any unapproved snacks.
He was given three meals a day prepared to meet the study's precise requirements, as described by Sarah Turner, the nutritionist who designed the meal plan.
A team measured, weighed, cut, and cooked the food before sending it to Srisata and other participants.
Turner said, "The challenge is to make all the nutrients work well, but they also have to be appealing and look good."
The results of the experiment are expected to be released later this year, but the initial findings are interesting.
At a scientific conference in November, Hall reported that the 18 participants in the study consumed around 1,000 extra calories per day from an ultra-processed diet compared to people who ate slightly processed foods, leading to weight gain.
When these characteristics were adjusted, the amount of consumption decreased, even though the foods were still considered ultra-processed, according to Hall.
The work is still ongoing, gathering data from remaining participants, completing, analyzing, and publishing it in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
However, the initial results suggest that "you can almost normalize" energy consumption, "even though they are still eating a diet that contains over 80% of calories from ultra-processed foods," according to Hall. - Agencies
