OVERPROCESSED FOODS ADD 500 CALORIES TO YOUR DIET DAILY, CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN
GASTROENTEROLOGY NERD ALERT: OVERPROCESSED FOODS ADD 500 CALORIES TO YOUR DIET DAILY, CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN
Check out this article from CNN.com about the negative effects of ultraprocessed foods on weight management. “Less-expensive, easier-to-prepare ultraprocessed foods can make you fat, a new study says.”
“People limited to a diet of primarily highly processed foods ate more calories and gained more weight than when their diet mostly consisted of minimally processed foods, finds the study,”published in May in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Ultraprocessed foods were “defined as containing industrial ingredients, such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, flavoring agents and emulsifiers.”
“During a one-month study, 20 healthy adult volunteers stayed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, where all their meals were provided to them. For 14 days in turn, they were limited to each diet and told they could eat as much or as little as they liked.
On the ultraprocessed diet, people ate faster while consuming about 500 calories more per day (by taking extra helpings) than they did while on the unprocessed diet; this increase in calories was due to higher quantities of carbohydrates and fat but not protein. As a result, they gained weight — on average, about 0.9 kilograms or 2 pounds. While on the diet of unprocessed foods, they lost an equal amount of weight.”
“The ultraprocessed foods caused people to eat too many calories and gain weight, they concluded.
Engineered and heavily processed foods can be difficult to restrict due to reasons beyond taste, the researchers noted. For example, the weekly cost of a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet of processed meals was estimated to be $106, versus $151 for the more natural meals.
It also takes more time to prepare less-processed foods, they said.”
If you are interested in making changes in your nutrition or just want to ensure you are achieving recommended goals, please call for an appointment with our registered dietitian nutritionist, Claire Allen. We also have a comprehensive weight management program to try to fully optimize your nutrition and wellness. Call 224.407.4400 or visit compgihealth.com to learn more!