Ultra-processed foods, incident overweight and obesity, and longitudinal changes in weight and waist circumference: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Issue 6 (17th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Canhada, Scheine Leite; Luft, Vivian Cristine; Giatti, Luana; Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; Chor, Dora; Fonseca, Maria de Jesus M da; Matos, Sheila Maria Alvim; Molina, Maria del Carmen Bisi; Barreto, Sandhi Maria; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Schmidt, Maria Inês
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 23:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 1076
• Page End: 1086
• Publication Date: 2020-04-17
• Subjects: Ultra-processed food, -- Obesity, -- Weight gain, -- Food handling; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019002854
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the association of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with gains in weight and waist circumference, and incident overweight/obesity, in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) cohort. Design: We applied FFQ at baseline and categorized energy intake by degree of processing using the NOVA classification. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured at baseline and after a mean 3·8-year follow-up. We assessed associations, through Poisson regression with robust variance, of UPF consumption with large weight gain (1·68 kg/year) and large waist gain (2·42 cm/year), both being defined as ≥90th percentile in the cohort, and with incident overweight/obesity. Setting: Brazil. Participants: Civil servants of Brazilian public academic institutions in six cities ( n 11 827), aged 35–74 years at baseline (2008–2010). Results: UPF provided a mean 24·6 (sd 9·6) % of ingested energy. After adjustment for smoking, physical activity, adiposity and other factors, fourth (>30·8 %) v . first (<17·8 %) quartile of UPF consumption was associated (relative risk (95 % CI)) with 27 and 33 % greater risk of large weight and waist gains (1·27 (1·07, 1·50) and 1·33 (1·12, 1·58)), respectively. Similarly, those in the fourth consumption quartile presented 20 % greater risk (1·20 (1·03, 1·40)) of incident overweight/obesity and 2 % greater risk (1·02; (0·85, 1·21)) of incident obesity. Approximately 15 % of cases of large weight and waist gains and of incident overweight/obesity could be attributed to consumption of >17·8 % of energy as UPF. Conclusions: Greater UPF consumption predicts large gains in overall and central adiposity and may contribute to the inexorable rise in obesity seen worldwide.